Living in the modern world can cause many anxieties, an accumulation of which can lead to a significant amount of stress. For example, imagine sitting in traffic when you are running late for an appointment or choosing to join the shortest queue in the supermarket only to discover that you have also picked the slowest check-out assistant!

There are many other day-to-day activities that also produce the same feelings of frustration and anxiety; and at the end of a stressful week packed with such examples, most people look forward to a well-earned period of ?de-stressing?. How people choose to ?de-stress? varies incredibly from individual to individual. For some, banishing the frustrations, stresses and strains of the preceding week may involve extreme physical activity, such as kick-boxing, for example. Others may prefer to do nothing but slump into a chair and watch TV while their body recovers from the week's excesses.

Of course, there are a variety of ways to relieve stress that fall in between the two extremes already mentioned. Music features quite heavily on a lot of people's methods for ?de-stressing?, either playing or listening, as does indulging in more gentle sports and pastimes. Watching sport as a spectator - especially team sports such as football or rugby - also allows for the letting off of steam; although for some people that may incur even more stress watching their team lose!

As an alternative to getting away from it all - as well as an excuse to be totally self-indulgent - spa weekends often prove a popular choice for de-stressing. Indeed, once you arrive at the spa resort, the outside world is banished and all that matters is slowly and surely being pampered. Until recently spas were almost exclusively the domain of women, however, now more men than ever are waking up to the rejuvenating benefits of spa treatments; and also booking in for a ?me-time? weekend at the spa.

In the same way that men have embraced buying cosmetics and indulging in care treatments at home, they are also realising that can prove another effective way to de-stress. In fact, studies have revealed that almost a third of all spa customers are male; many accompanying their wife or girlfriend on a break away from it all.

But regardless of gender, those with children have also discovered that a weekend at the spa invariably involves a weekend away from the kids; a fantastic double win when it comes to getting as far away from stress as possible! And whether it is a break from the workplace or simply some time away from the home that is required, it is good to know that there are options available for de-stressing.