Got stress? Get with it: Stress is so 2007 .
The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” survey, released today and conducted by Harris Poll among over 3,000 adults last August, found that the average American considers his or her stress level a 4.9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “little or no stress” and 10 being “a great deal of stress.” That’s down from 5.1 in 2013 and 6.2 in 2007, when the association first conducted the survey.
But we’re not entirely Zen yet. Americans are still experiencing more stress than what the association considers healthy — a rating of 3.7 on the scale — and it’s causing considerable levels of irritability, anxiety, fatigue and other negative health consequences, the survey found. What’s more, 42 percent of adults reported they’re not doing enough, or aren’t sure if they’re doing enough, to manage their stress.
“Despite the good news that overall stress levels are down, it appears that the idea of living with stress higher than what we believe to be healthy and dealing with it in ineffective ways continues to be embedded in our culture,” said Norman Anderson, the American Psychological Association CEO and executive vice president, in a statement.
For example, 1 in 5 Americans say they never engage in an activity to help relieve or manage their stress. Among those who do, common coping techniques include listening to music (44 percent), exercising or walking (43 percent) or watching at least two hours of TV each day (40 percent).
Stress is particularly prevalent among people living in households that bring in less than $50,000 annually. People in that group report an average stress level of 5.2, compared to 4.7 among higher-income households. Back in 2007, there was no stress gap between income levels. The gender gap has widened, too, with women increasingly reporting more stress than men. That’s kept more than half of them awake at night, while only 32 percent of men can’t sleep due to stress.
The survey also found that, once again, financial concerns appear to be a top driver of stress, affecting 72 percent of Americans at some point during the past month. And unless you’re over 49 years old and don’t have children, chances are high that financial worries weigh heavily on you: More than three-quarters of parents, millennials and Gen Xers reported that money is a somewhat or very significant source of stress.
Many Americans are also putting their health care on hold, thanks to financial sources of stress. For example, 12 percent say they haven’t gone to the doctor because of money woes, while 9 percent have considered skipping their doctor’s visit. Financial stress extends beyond health to relationships, too, with nearly one-third of partnered adults reporting it as a “source of major conflict” in their relationships, the survey found.
So, got stress? Get a friend. The survey found that Americans who have a family member or friend they can turn to for emotional support are less stressed than more disconnected people. They’re also less likely to say their stress levels increased over the past year, and less likely to let stress get in the way of making positive lifestyle changes.
“All Americans, and particularly those groups that are most affected by stress — which include women, younger adults and those with lower incomes — need to address this issue sooner than later in order to better their health and well-being,” Anderson said.
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Americans’ Stress Levels Are Declining originally appeared on usnews.com
