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Warning: binge-working can damage your health!

Binge-working is on the increase. According to a recent report, three-quarters of us feel we have to work more 45 hours a week just to stay on top of our workload. 9 ways to get your boss to love you

Working such long hours is bound to have a knock-on effect and an increasing number of people are suffering from stress, irritability (48 per cent) lack of sleep (44 per cent), headaches (36 per cent), exhaustion (35 per cent) and even chronic depression (28 per cent).

One person who has suffered massively is Rawaa Abdalla, a 24-year- old account executive, who found that the long hours were taking their toll. She explains: 'I quite often have to work 12-14 hour days picking things up that come in at the last minute and getting ready for press events. I was waking up early thinking about work, obsessing in the shower and having really disturbed sleeps. My mum recommended Bach Original Flower Remedies and White Chestnut really helped me unwind. I'm a massive fan of Rescue - it's the only thing that calms me down when I'm stressed out and I like the fact it's completely natural. Working long hours is inevitable in my job, but I'm trying to keep things in perspective and when all else fails there's always the Rescue Remedy!'

Binge-working is not just a phenomena that affects young people climbing the career ladder; in fact more and more people with families never get home in time to put their children to bed explains Chief Executive of Working Families, Sarah Jackson: 'This disturbing report shows us that binge-working is turning us into a nation of workaholics. This is having a disastrous effect on our health, our family life and our performance at work. We need to work shorter, leaner hours and take time for our families and communities.'

Stress-buster, Alexandra Whittall, believes binge-working is as much a symptom of stress as a cause: 'I go into companies all the time where people are struggling to cope, rarely take lunch and never leave the office until 7 or 8 o'clock. These people are often only spending a few hours with their families awake and the stress is really starting to tell. I always recommend people try to take a break and get things in perspective; life isn't one big emergency.'

Alex's stress tips

1. Start the day with a cup of hot water and the juice of half a fresh lemon: this balances the acidity caused by stress, alkalising the blood

2. Drink a cup of water to balance each coffee, tea and alcoholic beverage: all these drinks dehydrate the body, water is life

3. Replace refined foods with natural foods eg fruit for a sweet hit! Natural foods provide energy, refined foods steal energy