While bouts of stress can be good for your health, chronic stress can worsen your health, increasing your risk of chronic disease and premature death. Mascot (via Getty)
How stressed we feel depends on many factors, from work and family responsibilities to our personal finances. However, less is said about how the environment plays a key role in the amount of stress one faces. In last year’s Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families data analysis, levels of financial stress and community well-being all factored heavily into rankings of the best places to care for children and aging parents.
Similarly, WalletHub looked at 40 stress indicators across all 50 states, from work and family to money and health-related factors, to see where people face more or less stress. Louisiana topped the list as the most stressful state, followed by Mississippi and Nevada. In their analysis, researchers point to Louisiana’s high crime and property crime rates, the third-highest divorce and separation rates in the nation, and high poverty rates. Mississippi scores low on job security, and people are experiencing increased financial and work stressors. Nevada’s low scores for mental and physical stress may be due to the fact that more than 1 in 10 residents have not seen a doctor in the past year for financial reasons.
WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe says, “There are many small ways people can manage stress, including staying active, participating in hobbies, taking time off from work, and getting help from a mental health professional.” Yes,” it said in a statement. result. “But what many people don’t realize is that changing locations can also be a huge stress reliever. For example, states with low crime rates, good health care, and strong economies may be less stressful for residents.” tend to be much less common.”
Minnesota, South Dakota and Utah topped the list of least stressful states. Minnesota was ranked #1 as the state with the least money stress. South Dakota ranked No. 1 for states with the lowest family-related stress, and Utah ranked No. 1 for states with the lowest work-related stress.
While bouts of stress can be good for your health, chronic stress can worsen your health, increasing your risk of chronic disease and premature death. Daily habits like interacting with your community, going out, and exercising all help reduce stress. But of course, systemic issues such as safety and security in the wider places we live make a difference.
WalletHub created the rankings using national data from ShareCare’s Community Well-Being Index, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and more.
Top 10 Most Stressful States
- louisiana
- mississippi
- nevada
- new mexico
- arkansas
- west virginia
- Alabama
- kentucky
- oklahoma
- texas
Top 10 least stressful states
- minnesota
- south dakota
- Utah
- new hampshire
- iowa
- idaho
- north dakota
- Delaware
- nebraska
- Hawaii
Learn more about managing stress below.
