We spend the equivalent of five years of our lives worrying, say researchers who have revealed that the strains of modern life leave the typical adult losing around two hours a day to fretting over the high cost of living, feeling out of shape and mounting debt.

Getting old, fears over job security and relationships issues also leave a dark cloud hanging over millions on a daily basis.

The study also found that extreme anxiety has left many of us unable to concentrate at work, brought on endless sleepless nights, and even caused further rifts with their partners.

The research, which was commissioned by UK health and wellbeing mutual Benenden Health, found the average person endures 14 hours each week weighed down with worry.

Around 45 percent of those studied admitted stress and worry had directly affected their health.

"It is a sad reality that stress is dominating our lives and having a severe impact on our work life, our quality of sleep and our personal relationships," Paul Keenan of Benenden Health said.

"The crunch comes when it begins to have a detrimental impact on our health – and 45 percent admit stress is already doing this.

"32 percent of people have even gone to the doctors because of worry or stress."

Concerns over low energy levels, fearing the aging process or work concerns featured highly in the list of the most common worries, while relationship concerns, like whether a partner is right for them or even still in love with them, burden the mind of many.

In fact, the average adult experiences six nights every month where their sleep is disturbed or the quality reduced as a result of worrying, and one in four feel they have a major worry they aren't dealing with properly or are deliberately avoiding.

One fifth has a friend or relative who they feel is currently running away from a problem while a third of people in relationships have a big worry they've kept secret from their partner – and these were most likely to be about finance problems.

Worryingly, one on four people doesn't feel they have anyone who they're able to talk with about their problems.

And three in 10 bury a lot of things in order to get on with day to day life.

More than one in 10 people have bank statements, bills or letters they have yet to open and they put these out of sight because they are too scared to read them.