Why is New Hampshire the Third Least Stressed State in the Nation?
Stress is at an all-time high for people.
According to the American Psychological Association:
83% of adults are stressed about high inflation
70% of adults do not think people in government care about them
64% said they feel their rights are under attack
Then there are outside stressors that are not necessarily tangible through data: work, loss of a loved one, love life, pregnancy, illness, injury, and more.
So, the purpose of the study was to find out what states to AVOID if you want less stress. More importantly, what states are the best for a stress-free lifestyle?
WalletHub compared the 50 states across 41 key indicators of stress to determine the places to avoid and achieve a more relaxing life. Our data set ranges from average hours worked per week to the personal bankruptcy rate to the share of adults getting adequate sleep.
Starting with the most stressed-out states: 1. Mississippi, 2. Louisiana, 3. New Mexico.
Wow. Lots of southern states. You can actually see on the map below what states are the most stressed out by color.
The darker the blue, the more stressed. The lighter, closer to white, the less stress.
New England states are relatively light in color compared to the south.
Doing the best in New England was New Hampshire. The Granite State was the third LEAST stressed state in the nation, despite the recreational legalization of the relaxation medication.
New Hampshire and Massachusetts were tied for the lowest number of adults in fair/poor health.
New Hampshire residents had the second-best credit score in the country, AND New Hampshire was tied for the second-best state recording crime rates.
Arguably the proudest, New Hampshire is the state with the fewest population living in poverty.
Even though there is data and research that go into these studies, I think a lot of the reason Granite Staters are less stressed out is because of our physical location. We have the mountains, beaches, and cities close enough like Boston.
We also have four drastic seasons.
It shows us to appreciate beauty in all situations, even those out of our control, like a Nor'easter in April (been there, done that).
To see the full report, check it out here.