Women are suffering from burnout due to excessive working hours and stress, according to a new study.

Of the women polled by Cosmopolitan, almost three-quarters (71 per cent) said they’re experienced an anxiety or panic attack.

While 40 per cent said they’d sought medical help because of anxiety due to stress.

The symptoms appeared to be linked to their working patterns, with more than half of the 750 women surveyed saying they obsess over work - even when they’re off the clock.

Almost half said they check their work emails every day outside office hours, including weekends.

The study suggested today’s women have become ‘generation burnout’, with more than three quarters of those surveyed regularly feeling a lack of motivation.

“The pace of life, work overload, job insecurity and increasingly high expectations of us mean more and more people are becoming burnt out.” Sir Cary Cooper

Women also reported negative emotions (82 per cent) and 71 per cent felt dissatisfied with life.

“In the past, burnout happened in jobs that involved working with people – occupations such as teaching, social work or nursing – but now it has expanded beyond the caring professions,” said Sir Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Manchester Business School.

“The pace of life, work overload, job insecurity and increasingly high expectations of us mean more and more people are becoming burnt out.”

Women can get burnout at work Credit: Peter Dazeley

A third of women described their jobs as “very” or “extremely” stressful which tended to have a negative impact on their lifestyle.

More than half said they regularly neglected their appearance or health through stress, 44 per cent said they’d drunk alone to de-stress while 71 per cent said they over or under-ate because of stress.

In addition 40 per cent of women said they work unpaid overtime.

A third of women described their jobs as “very” or “extremely” stressful which tended to have a negative impact on their lifestyle.

Sir Cary explained that women suffering from burnout should look at their behavioural changes as the first warning signs.

“For example, if you were previously sociable you might become withdrawn; you might be less cooperative or more aggressive and your sense of humour might wane.

“Physical signs depend on the person. You may get more colds, smoke or drink more, eat more or less, or suffer gastrointestinal problems.”

The research will be in Cosmopolitan's January issue, on sale Thursday 3 December 2015.