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STRESSED IN THE US: WHO, WHY AND HOW WE REACT
Each year, the American Psychological Association (APA) surveys people living and working in the United States to find out how stressed they are, the causes of this stress, how it affects them, and what they do to deal with it. Here are my votes for the most interesting and surprising headlines for 2008’s findings along with some commentary. You can add your take and click the Stressed In American link in the Related Q&As section below for the full APA study.
Americans are more stressed, and 3 in 10 are really stressed
Half those surveyed say their stress is higher in 2008 than it was last year, and 30% describe their stress as extreme.
Mood, energy and sleep are most affected by stress
Here are the top 12 reported physical and psychological results of all this stress, and the percentage of survey participants who reported experiencing these symptoms:
- Anger or irritability 60% (up from 50% in 2007)
- Fatigue 53%
- Lying awake at night 52%
- Headache 47%
- Upset stomach 35%
- Muscle tension 34%
- Change in sex drive 19%
- Teeth grinding 17%
- Tightness in chest 16%
- Feeling dizzy 15%
- Change in menstrual cycle 10%
- Erectile dysfunction 10%
Muscle tension may be #6 on the list, but it can also be the main ingredient in other ranked symptoms like headaches, upset stomach, chest tightness, teeth grinding and lying awake at night. Similarly, hormones that flow through us when we’re stressed, as well as stress-sparked changes in blood flow, are often linked to irritability, indigestion, shifting sex drives, menstrual cycle variations and erection challenges.
We’re sending mixed messages about our stress management
81% of survey participants said that they are effectively managing their stress, but in response to a different question, half said they’re not doing enough, or don’t know if they are adequately addressing the issue.
Notice the different keywords here: “effectively” versus “adequately” and “enough.” The seemingly conflicting findings could come from different interpretations of these words.
We need to more actively manage our stress
Most manage stress “standing still.” Only half of us exercise to reduce stress, Drinking and smoking beat out sports and meditation as stress management strategies, and nearly 10% don’t do a thing to relax. Here’s how those surveyed say they manage their stress:
- Listen to music: 52%
- Exercise or walk: 47%
- Read: 44%
- Spend time with friends or family: 41%
- Watch TV or movies 2+ hours a day: 41%
- Nap: 38%
- Play video games or surf the Internet: 37%
- Pray: 37%
- Eat: 34%
- Hobby: 30%
- Church or religious services: 21%
- Drink alcohol: 18%
- Shop: 18%
- Smoke: 16%
- Play sports: 9%
- Get massage/go to spa: 9%
- Meditation/yoga: 8%
- Nothing (unable/unwilling to take action): 8%
- See mental health professional: 7%
- Gamble: 4%
- Play with/care for pets: 1%
- Gardening: 1%
Hmm, listening to music, reading and hanging with friends can be amazing stress relievers, but they are sedentary activities that contribute to weight gain, diabetes and circulation problems. Physical activity busts stress and counters unhealthy fat, blood flow and disease. So, exercise gets you two-for-the-price-of-one, and this may be especially important since 48% of those surveyed say they overeat or unhealthily eat to cope with stress—and that’s up 5% from last year. It’s also interesting that about 40% say they watch TV, play video games and go online to manage stress when many of these same activities can cause stress thanks to their violent, competitive, sensational and sensory overload tendencies.
Those who pray say their technique is the most stress-reducing way.
Who has the most faith that their activities reduce stress? Those who:
- Pray 77%
- Attend church or a religious service 75%
- Get a massage or go to a spa 71%
- Exercise or walk 65%
- Play sports 63%
- Meditate or do yoga 63%
Note: Focused attention is at the heart of prayer, meditation, yoga and many forms of exercise, and its benefits include lower blood pressure, reduced anxiety and lessened reactions to everyday stressors.
We’re stressed, but reluctant to ask for help
Almost half—48%--say they are somewhat to very uncomfortable asking someone for help dealing with their stress, while 58% feel uncomfortable getting professional help to manage stress.
These stats are particularly unfortunate because social support and mental health counseling can be such effective stress reducers. No doubt that the common belief that asking for help is a sign of weakness, misconceptions about psychotherapy, and the lack of insurance that we provide in the U.S. for mental healthcare, add up to these troubling numbers. New legislation that will now require greater coverage for mental health may help to get these numbers higher next year.
More stressed in the South and Midwest
Adults living in the southern US report the highest levels of overall stress, and adults living in the Midwest report the highest levels of work stress.
One answer to job stress: “Show me the money!”
Here are the top 5 sources of work woes:
- Low salary 49%
- Heavy workload 43%
- Lack of opportunity for growth and advancement 43%
- Unrealistic job expectations 40%
- Job insecurity 34%
Les
11/08
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