Want less stress? Do some housework

Doing just 20 minutes of housework a week can make a significant difference to a person’s happiness levels, new research has found.

New Scientist reports that scientists at University College London surveyed almost 20,000 Scottish people on the amount of physical activity they do and their happiness levels.

They found that while 3200 people suffered from anxiety or depression, those who engaged in some physical exercise were much less likely to have those conditions.

In fact, even 20 minutes of housework or a 20 minute a walk a day made a big difference, cutting the risk of depression by up to 20%. Generally the more exercise people did, the less likely they were to be anxious or depressed, the research found.