A sea view is the quickest and most effective way to reduce high stress levels for many people.
A poll of 2,000 adults by brewer Hoegaarden found that daily stress is a problem for almost a third of the population.
However, 84% said being in contact with the natural elements made them feel more relaxed instantly. Other popular stress-busters included a walk in the park, the smell of cut grass and the sound of birds singing.
The most often cited causes of stress included the morning commute (13%), work itself (32%) and simply getting up (14%).
Christine Webber, who worked on the report, said the fact that people in urban areas seldom interacted with the natural environment had led to rising stress levels.
She said that with little time off people were missing out on both the physical benefits and psychological benefits of the great outdoors.
TUC figures published earlier this year showed that the average UK employee does almost one day of unpaid extra work a week.
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