I have six stories to finish by deadline in an hour and 23 minutes. That’s 13.8333 minutes for each story.

The phone is glued to my ear, I am waiting on three press officers to get back to me and my editor has just said Chatham is under siege from an invasion of yogic fliers and we have to get something online immediately.

On days like this not even deep breaths and counting to 10 will do.

In fact today, Monday, January 12, is the most stressful day of the year, according to some experts.

So why might you be pulling out your hair more today than on any other day this year?

The reasoning behind the idea is much to do with the time of year and the miserable weather.

Many people also receive their credit card statements confirming their festive excesses and go back to work, school or college, realising they have another long year ahead. 2009’s economic blues are only adding to the tension.

Dr Kate Hamilton-West, a psychology lecturer at the University of Kent’s Medway campus, said: “Stress is a response to demands placed on you at this time of year. You may feel your resources for coping are a bit low.

“Your body takes on a fight or flight response. This is essential for our survival, we have the same physical sensations as we would have done facing predators hundreds of years ago.”

Dr Hamilton-West, also a university pastor, said there was a noticeable rise in students she advised early in the year due to stress through future exams and the strains of starting another term.

David Coldwell, director of the Medway, Gravesham and Swale West branch of the advice charity, the Samaritans, said there had been a gradual increase in the number of calls received. Mr Coldwell said they probably received a “five to 10 per cent” increase in people calling in January. He put the increase down to a number of factors.

He said: “We are aware of this time of year being worse for some people. We get more calls in January, the decorations have come down, people are going back to work and the date is significant to credit card bills coming in.

“There are financial and relationship concerns. Sometimes they can become strained over Christmas and if you are not with someone it can highlight the loneliness.

“For some people it gets so bad they become suicidal.”

In the last two years Mr Coldwell said there had been a marked increase in the number of contacts.

In 2007, the Medway, Gravesham and Swale West branch had received around 32,000 contacts while last year that figure reached around 36,000.

Mr Coldwell added: “We don’t give advice but we do listen to people and talking is often the best way of getting through stress.”

• What is your secret for good cheer in these harsh times? Add your comments below, email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk or write to Medway Messenger, Medway House, Ginsbury Close, Sir Thomas Longley Road, Medway City Estate, Strood, ME2 4DU.