2017’s Most & Least Stressed States

Stress affects everyone. Although we cannot eliminate stress entirely from our lives, we can minimize it by choosing to reside in the least toxic environments. The good news is stress levels in 2016 reached their lowest point in a decade. The bad news is they’re back on the uptick this year.

During the 10-year period when stress was declining, Americans commonly identified “money, work and the economy” as their biggest sources of worry. Today, however, Americans also report increased anxiety over the election outcome, current political climate, uncertainty of our nation’s future and fear of violence.

But certain states have contributed more than others to elevating — or decreasing — stress levels in the U.S. WalletHub’s analysts therefore compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 33 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 personal bankruptcy rate to share of adults getting adequate sleep. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and our full methodology.

For a more local analysis of this topic, please visit WalletHub’s ranking of the Most & Least Stressed Cities in America.

Main Findings

Most & Least Stressed States

Ask the Experts

For the best ways to cope with negative stressors, we turned to a panel of experts whose thoughts on the following key questions can be found below.

1. What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?
2. What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?
3. Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?
4. What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

• Mary Blair-Loy Professor in the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego
• Lisa Gatzke-Kopp Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies and Professor in Charge of the Graduate Program at Pennsylvania State University
• Elizabeth “Birdie” Shirtcliff Associate Professor at Iowa State University
• David W. Rothwell Assistant Professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences at Oregon State University
• Anthony R. Wheeler Associate Dean and Professor of Human Resources Management in the College of Business at Bryant University
• Cynthia A. Thompson Professor of Management and EMBA Academic Director in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College
• Paul Maloney Assistant Professor of the Practice of Psychology at Fairfield University
• Wendy Johnny Assistant Professor & Counselor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Corinna Jenkins Tucker Professor of Human Development & Family Studies and Senior Faculty Fellow in the The Carsey School of Public Policy at University of New Hampshire
• Kim Gieck Achievement Coach in the School of Business & Information Technology at Central New Mexico Community College
• Lesley L. Rennis Associate Professor at CUNY-Borough of Manhattan Community College
• Debra Mollen Professor and Director of the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at Texas Woman’s University
• David LeBeau Adjunct Lecturer on Stress Reduction and Physical Activity Instruction Program in the School of Public Health at Indiana University-Bloomington

Mary Blair-Loy

Professor in the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Exercise. I just joined the Women’s Basketball League at the Y. I’m a novice but learning fast. What a high. Play with your kids, pets, other loved ones. Laugh.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Plan ahead. Stay the course. Disciplined savings that happen automatically, e.g., auto paycheck deductions.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Don’t overschedule. Let them see you having fun. Play with them. Who cares if the dishes don’t get done. My child and I have learned together how to meditate using a simple app.

Lisa Gatzke-Kopp

Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies and Professor in Charge of the Graduate Program at Pennsylvania State University

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Absolutely. There is extensive evidence that psychological stress contributes to all aspects of physical health, such as heart disease, obesity, and the general propensity to get sick. Stress also increases the risks of substance use and relapse, and can make existing conditions worse or slow the body's natural recovery process. Health programs that support psychological health and well-being may represent increased expenditures in the short term, but have the potential to substantially reduce costs on the health care system in the long run.

Unfortunately, the business model of health care companies doesn't motivate these kinds of cost / benefit tradeoffs. Companies may not want to invest money in an individual for stress reduction programs that may reduce health problems in the future because there is no certainty that the individual will continue to be a customer on that particular plan when those health benefits are realized.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Helping children learn to manage stress may not only be one of the best things parents can offer their child, it may be the best solution to the problems mentioned above. If schools engaged curriculum that helped develop children's stress management skills, there may be societal benefits in terms of improved health outcomes and lower health care costs. One strategy for better stress management is overall self-care. Parents should ensure that their children are getting an appropriate and consistent amount of sleep, and children should avoid caffeinated beverages such as sodas.

The situational factor that is the most likely to cause psychological stress is the feeling of a lack of control. Individuals who encounter a stressful situation who feel like they are able to cope with the situation show less of a physiological stress response than individuals who feel out of control. Parents can help children feel like they have control over how they handle situations by teaching them healthy and appropriate coping strategies. Children can also learn to focus on things they can control and build a sense of self-efficacy over time. For instance, children who are worried about their school performance can learn to shift the locus of control from something external that they can't control ("my teacher gives me grades") to something internal that they can control ("I can do my work and study and I will earn good grades")

In situations where the family is under significant stress, such as foreclosure or a major disruption to the family life, parents should work to ensure that children understand that the parent is responsible for handling the problem and the child doesn't need to worry. Even if the parent does not feel in control, conveying a sense of ability to solve the problem will buffer the child from the extreme stress. For older children, parents can share more details, and make it clear how different possible outcomes would affect the child.

Simply letting the child know that there is a plan even for worst-case scenarios let them know what to expect, which can be less stressful than having no idea what might happen. So if it is clear that the family may lose their home if one or both parents is unable to find a job, let the child know that there is a plan for what will happen in that event. For instance, if we aren't able to stay in the home we will go live with Grandma for a few months until we are able to get our savings account built up. Even if the family may be placed in a temporary shelter, letting the child know how their needs will be met, and that the family will be together, will reduce their stress.

Parents should also know that if they are feeling deeply stressed, their children are probably picking up on it even if the parents aren't talking about it. Even when we don't realize it, stress affects our mood and how we communicate with others, and it can be obvious to a child that a parent isn't happy. In that case, it is probably more stressful for the child to know something is wrong but have no idea what is wrong, or what is going to happen. Even just letting the child know that something is causing you stress, but that you have a plan for how to deal with it, takes the responsibility of worrying about it off of their plate. For instance, letting the child know that there are grown up things happening at work that are frustrating can help reassure a child that the stress they are picking up on isn't a threat to them, and that you will handle it.

If parents are feeling a lot of stress, watch for signs of distress in your children that might not show up in obvious ways. If your child has stopped getting homework done or is having behavior problems at school, it may be caused by their stress at sensing something is wrong at home but not understanding anything about it.

Elizabeth “Birdie” Shirtcliff

Associate Professor at Iowa State University

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Our body uses the stress hormone cortisol in order to prepare for an anticipated stressor and to help the body recover and repair from prior stressors. Stress can sometimes be a good thing, helping us to mobilize the energy we need to deal with a challenge. But stress can also be bad if it is too frequent or prolonged. My advice for fighting stress would be understand that it can have a purpose, but you also need a break sometimes from the constant challenges so that you have time to recover and repair.

Cortisol works with other physiological systems like the autonomic nervous system which regulates heart rate and breathing. Never underestimate the power of a good long deep breath for stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, sending signals through your vagus nerve and to your insula and your limbic system in the brain to encourage “rest and digest.”

Similarly, cortisol works with hormones like oxytocin to encourage trust and bonding with familiar people during stress. Oxytocin can almost completely eliminate a stress response, so we should reach out to those we trust during stress instead of pushing them away or being too busy to connect.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Cortisol influences our decision making during stress by making us more risk aversive and liable to “save one’s own bacon.” That prudence can be a good thing if the stress is unpredictable and unstable. It makes us more likely conserve our resources (financial and otherwise) and get through the challenge. But sometimes that cortisol-induced prudence can also hold us back from taking on a new challenge.

Back to the oxytocin story, knowing that you have social support and people to help you when finances get difficult is incredibly important for reducing the impact of stress. Feeling protected can make the instability less problematic.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Outside of unpredictability and uncontrollability, the best way of getting a stress response from someone is called Social Evaluative Threat (SET), or when you feel judged by others. SET is so much worse when it comes from someone you love because you experience not only judgment, but also a loss of social support. Without social support, you don’t get the buffering effect from oxytocin. You don’t get that quick recovery if cortisol is released. Your parasympathetic can’t encourage rest and digest because your sympathetic nervous system is continuing to be on edge waiting for the next stressor. That vigilance increases heart rate and clogs arteries.

My advice for parents is that it is important to remember that all the intangible things you do for your kids -- all the squishy hugs and positive smiles and warmth and support -- all that “gets under the skin” in a very real way and changes their physiology. Just know that what you do matters: it matters a lot and the impact stays with your kids for years, maybe even their whole lifespan.

It is okay to challenge your kids. Stress can be mobilizing. Especially if it is combined with social support so that the challenge is surmountable. Controllability and predictability are important factors for reducing the negative effects of stress.

Stress doesn’t have to happen to the child to still be stressful. The neurocircuitry in the brain that instantiates stress overlaps a lot with the areas that instantiate empathy. What that means is that the brain uses the same areas to feel stress for oneself as to feel stress for another. When you manage your stress and spend time on your own feelings of being overwhelmed, this isn’t selfish. This is allowing you to buffer your child from stress and not to transfer your stress, through empathy, to them. Being there for them is important, but only if you aren’t a further source of stress.

David W. Rothwell

Assistant Professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences at Oregon State University

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

• Exercise;

• Spend time in nature / outdoors;

• Meditation.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Control the finances as much as possible. Make a plan -- with small steps -- to take control.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Yes, they should.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

It's important for the parents to model stress management behaviors.

Anthony R. Wheeler

Associate Dean and Professor of Human Resources Management in the College of Business at Bryant University

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Sometimes it’s as easy as going for a walk. There’s a whole group of activities that researchers call “positive recovery experiences” that help people recover from stress. Basically, it’s “find something you like and do it.” If you enjoy reading books, give yourself 30 minutes a day to read a book. If you like exercising, schedule 30 minutes a day to do something active. If you like listening to music, treat yourself to your favorite playlist of music.

Often when we’re under stress, we replay events in our heads or spend time ruminating about what might happen or should have happened. Replaying events or ruminating actually become stressful, so you become stressed over feeling stressed. The best advice I can offer is find one or two things that you enjoy doing, and schedule time to do those things. Those scheduled events will become respites from the stress. You will actually look forward to that scheduled time.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

When we feel that we lack control over our lives, any facet of our lives, we feel more stress. Researchers know that personal finance issues are a major cause of stress for many people. When you find yourself feeling financially stressed, the thoughts about how to solve our financial problems seem overwhelming or unreachable. So we give up before we start. In a lot of ways, it’s like the hoarder who wants to clean out his or her house but the sheer scope of the clean-up makes that person feel like he or she could never complete the clean-up. So start small and build up easy wins.

Researchers know that mastering the small steps associated with any goal will lead to permanent changes in your behavior. For financial stress, start with a list of your expenses. Instead of thinking about cutting a specific expense, consider how to reduce the cost of a specific expense. For example, you might have a cable package that includes more channels than you’ll ever watch. You don’t need to get rid of your cable, but you can change your cable package. The same goes for your cell phone bill. You can even look for competing deals from other cable, cell or internet providers.

Often we simply don’t realize what we spend our money on, so creating a list of your expenses highlights many areas of spending that can be reduce. I’m not suggesting you need to give up your Starbucks, but maybe you can have a smaller size beverage once a day instead of twice. These are easy, simple starting points that lead to greater benefits. You will feel more in control over your finances, which reduces stress. You will also experience a great deal of satisfaction when you see actual results. Seeing positive outcomes from your actions becomes motivation to continue your efforts, and you’ll feel better about yourself in the process.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Absolutely. In fact, stress reduction treatments should be included in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and wellness plans for health insurance. We know that stress leads to ruinous physical and mental health outcomes that end up costing insurance companies and their customers in the risk pools more and more each year. Stress has been linked to increased heart attack rates, weight gain, diabetes, compromised immunity, and overall mortality rates. Stress has also been linked to increased depression, mental health breaks, workplace violence, domestic violence, and suicide rates.

Notice that these physical and mental health issues compound onto to each other to create worse and worse outcomes. That is, the health issues aren’t isolated from each other. They combine with each other. From an employer perspective, stressful work environments lead to higher rates of absenteeism, lower employee motivation, lower workplace morale, higher employee turnover, lower productivity, and increased spending on healthcare premiums. Healthier employees are more productive employees. The return on investment for health and wellness programs is substantial. It’s good for business. Insurance companies would benefit greatly from being able to help their clients reduce costs while also creating healthier risk pools of people who require less insurance usage.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Role overload creates stress, which really means that doing too many things creates stress. Over-scheduling your children can create stress. Remember that we all do better when we feel that we have control over our lives, and children are no different. They like to do what they like to do, similar to adults needing “positive recovery experiences” to recover from stressful events. Part of growing up is learning to cope with stress, so teaching your children effective stress coping strategies -- things even as simple as the power of sleep and deep breathing exercises -- will help reduce their stress. As a parent myself, I too want my kids to grow up to lead successful lives. The hard part is letting them live up to their own dreams and not mine.

Cynthia A. Thompson

Professor of Management and EMBA Academic Director in the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

There are many ways to deal with stress without spending money. Taking deep breaths, going for a 20 minute walk in the woods or around the block, calling a good friend to vent, meditating, or my favorite, putting on dance music and dancing in my office for a few minutes, are all free and easy to do. However, the big mistake that many people make is to focus on reducing stress "in the moment," rather than thinking deeply about the source of the stress.

If you are having a conflict with your boss, going for a walk isn't going to reduce the conflict. If you are stressed about an upcoming work presentation, dancing in the office isn't going to help (well, maybe it will a little). Instead, you need to figure out what exactly is causing you the stress, and then think of ways to confront the stress. If it involves a difficult conversation, prepare for it by reading "Difficult Conversations, Discuss What Matters" by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Roger Fisher. If you get stressed out making presentations, schedule time to practice in front of a mirror. If your boss is placing unrealistic work demands on you, negotiate more realistic demands. Yes, that negotiation may be stressful, but the only way out is through. If your boss won't budge, it may be time to look for a new job.

So yes, take those deep breaths, or go for a walk in the woods, but also be sure to spend time thinking about the real source of the stress, and ways you can confront it.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Most parenting experts today would say that it's important to avoid over-scheduling your child. And I agree. But one of the most important things you can do is be present for them. Put the cell phone down. Look them in the eyes. Listen to them. Interact with them. If you are working at home, find a way to work in a separate room, so you can focus on work and they can focus on playing. Of course, younger children will need a babysitter or au pair to look after them, but older children can be taught to respect work boundaries.

The key is to be present, psychologically and emotionally as well as physically, when you are with them. Knowing that you are there for them will build their self-confidence and resilience, which will enable them to more easily cope with the stresses they will invariably experience growing up.

Paul Maloney

Assistant Professor of the Practice of Psychology at Fairfield University

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

To fight stress without spending money, an individual can pursue relaxation techniques found in the book “The Relaxation Method.” Begin Yoga on an individual basis; increase their exercise regimen and be consistent in following it; learn deep breathing exercises which decrease blood pressure and increase oxygen to the brain and improve thinking; lastly, talk it out with someone with whom you feel comfortable, a friend.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Write down what your concerns are and discuss them with a friend or trusted adviser; focus on the here and now; turn off the fears by meditating; look for things in your life for which you are grateful and substitute them for the fears.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Yes, I believe insurance companies should cover stress, since it is one of the major ailments of our society. It costs the economy millions of dollars in lost productivity through absences, illness, and lower individual performance.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Have them get outdoors -- away from computers, telephones and TV. Have them get into regular exercise activities -- walking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, and team sports.

Wendy Johnny

Assistant Professor & Counselor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Stress is almost impossible to avoid in our daily lives, and most individuals worry over trivial things, which can lead to distress. I will advise anyone if he or she feels overwhelmed and has to worry, then they should do it constructively; do not waste time and energy on things you cannot change. Do not rush into action -- think before you act. Think positively and have an optimistic outlook on life. Exercise is a good activity because it relieves tension and has a calming effect that can accompany positive feelings.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

It is difficult to tell someone not to stress over money, especially someone who is living from paycheck to paycheck. Nonetheless, budgeting is one of the best ways. Try to make a weekly or biweekly budget in which your expenditures are not more than the income you are receiving. For things like food and basic essential necessities shop once a week, and avoid going to the supermarket no more than twice in a week. Most people who go to the supermarket often end up buying things they do not necessarily need. Plan a weekly menu and buy only the things you need that week. Learn to say “no” to yourself and others if you cannot afford to pay for something and / or you have to go into financial debt for it. If you cannot afford to pay cash for it, then do not credit it -- unless it is an absolute necessity.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Since stress has been considered to be the number one killer in this country, insurance companies should definitely cover treatments for stress management. High levels of distress have been associated with physical diseases (e.g., strokes, heart attacks) and psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. Early prevention will save insurance companies in the long run.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

First of all, if we are dealing with adolescents, parents should look for warning signs which are often expressed in changes in their children’s moods and behavior. If it is school related-stress, such as academic performance, help them to moderate their expectations -- let them aim high, but be realistic based on the circumstances and their motivation. Discourage procrastination and encourage them to surround themselves with positive peers. More so, parents should let their children know that they can talk with their parents about any distressing situation, and they will be very supportive to their needs.

Corinna Jenkins Tucker

Professor of Human Development & Family Studies and Senior Faculty Fellow in the The Carsey School of Public Policy at University of New Hampshire

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Try to create a calm setting at home and encourage feelings of coping and self-reliance. Calmness can come from keeping routines and organization. Regularities like doing chores and having an exercise routine are helpful.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Positive parenting is key -- parents who are attentive, responsive and flexible to their children’s needs will reduce stress in children. It is important that parents spend quality time with their children and attempt to understand children’s needs. Predictability and a calm home environment are important for children’s current and life-long mental and physical health.

Kim Gieck

Achievement Coach in the School of Business & Information Technology at Central New Mexico Community College

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

I am a big fan of my local public library. A library card is free. The public library isn’t just for kids. If you are not technologically savvy, you can visit your local library and get help with finding books about managing stress or borrow a yoga exercise video. There are weekly knitting and crocheting groups and adult coloring classes. For those that own a smart phone or tablet, you can download apps like Overdrive or Hoopla and check out e-books, e-audiobooks, music, movies, covering topics ranging from diet and exercise to mindfulness. When was the last time you “checked out” your public library?

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

We must use critical thinking when it comes to money. If you’ve taken a Psychology class, you were exposed to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If we apply this theory to our finances, we must first assess whether we have enough income to cover our basic living expenses. If we do not, then this is our first priority before we can tackle any other financial issue in our lives. There are only two alternatives to resolving this challenge. Increase our income or reduce our expenses. To begin, we must first sit down and look at what income is needed to cover housing, utilities, food, transportation. Just the basics needed to sustain life. If the answer is to increase income, then we may want to consider going to college to acquire some marketable skills. There is financial assistance for those who qualify at fafsa.ed.gov.

If we are unable or unwilling to do this, then we must look at how we can reduce our cost of living. Many State Bar associations, financial institutions, senior centers, libraries, and non-profit organizations offer free consumer debt education classes and workshops. There are also helpful websites such as balancepro.org, savvymoney.com, and mymoney.gov to help us get started.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

I meet with predominantly non-traditional students at a community college. During our meetings, I often hear that the reason they are starting or returning to college is because they want to be a role model for their children. This prompts me to ask, “How can you role model managing the stressors that come with being a college student?” What typically ensues is the importance of including their children in ways such as studying together and communicating whenever stress levels are particularly high due to course demands. Children often mirror our moods. Parents must be mindful and proactive when it comes to stressed behavior, both within themselves and their children. Create opportunities for learning that stress is a normal part of life and that there are effective ways to manage it from taking a deep breath to talking through the problem.

Lesley L. Rennis

Associate Professor at CUNY-Borough of Manhattan Community College

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

What makes a situation stressful is the level of control one has or perceives to have over a situation. When we feel as though we have little to no control, we are more likely to view an event as stressful. Control is the vaccine for stress. In any situation, there is always something you can control. Think of being stuck in traffic, what’s most stressful is the feeling of being stuck with time ticking away. You feel as if there is nothing you can do. But there is. You can seize control of whatever small options you have -- tune into your favorite radio station, do breathing exercises, or take a different route. These things won’t make the traffic go away but they will help you to manage your stress level and the emotions tied to it.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

The best thing to do when you are stressed is to identify the ways -- big and small -- in which you can seize control and start moving in the direction you want to go.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

According to most statistics, 75-90% of all doctor’s visits are for stress related ailments and / or complaints. Stress plays a part in just about every illness. If insurance companies covered more preventive, stress reduction techniques, like acupuncture, massage and yoga, it’s possible that we could improve our health and save a great deal of money as well.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

The best thing parents can do to help their children manage stress is to teach them to deal with negative emotional states. Parents should spend time helping their kids learn healthy ways to shift their emotions. Teach them how music, movement and things like journaling can help get in touch with your emotions and change the way you feel.

Debra Mollen

Professor and Director of the Counseling Psychology Master’s Program at Texas Woman’s University

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Pursue proven strategies for managing stress: engage in pleasurable physical activities, cultivate a yoga and meditation practice, volunteer for a cause that matters deeply to you, spend time in nature, learn a new skill, and connect with supportive friends.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Track your expenses and make adjustments in spending where you can. Live below your means. Spend money on experiences rather than things. Seek joy in saving versus spending money.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Given the role stress plays in our physical and mental health, insurance companies should most assuredly cover stress-reduction treatments.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

Encourage healthy habits early, including developing good relationships with others, practicing self-compassion, instilling a strong work ethic, learning critical thinking skills, saving a portion of all money earned or given as gifts, and moving physically in ways that are safe and enjoyable.

David LeBeau

Adjunct Lecturer on Stress Reduction and Physical Activity Instruction Program in the School of Public Health at Indiana University-Bloomington

What tips do you have for fighting stress without spending money?

Forget about fighting stress; that is like putting gasoline on a fire you are trying to extinguish! Instead, take 3 consecutive deep cleansing breaths, feeling the chest expand on inhalation and the shoulders sink on exhalation. When done, notice how much more relaxed you feel.

Notice that by pulling your attention away from an imagined anxiety producing future, you feel more focused and calm. Anxiety producing thoughts that stimulate a stress response in the body are almost always about a circumstance in the future; an interview that goes poorly, a job layoff that may happen, the list is endless. If those things actually happen, steps can actually be taken, such as getting help practicing interviews or updating the resume. Worrying serves no useful purpose.

A long term solution could involve typing the word “mindfulness” into a browser and using all the free information on the web to learn a simple (but challenging) awareness based meditation often called mindfulness or insight meditation, that has proven itself very effective and immensely popular. People who have used it include Ellen DeGeneres, Anderson Cooper, Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll to name just a few. What began as a stress reduction and relaxation program at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979 and made the February 3, 2014 cover of Time Magazine, is now offered through over 740 academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics and free standing programs under the name Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.

What steps can people take to reduce stressing over finances?

Instead of spending money self-soothing with comfort food, shopping therapy or other costly approaches, people can use web based resources to learn mindfulness meditation. This can help them see more clearly where the money is going.

Especially for finances, opening up a spreadsheet and creating a monthly budget can identify areas for savings that will create a positive cash flow. For example, making coffee at home rather than purchasing expensive name brand coffee by the cup could be a logical step. Cutting the data plan on the phone down to bare bones is another easy step. Most people can cut expense by 10% with a little effort and discipline.

Should insurance companies cover treatments that help reduce stress?

Yes, especially Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy.

What tips do you have for parents trying to minimize stress in their children?

First, the parents will want to practice accepting themselves as they are. This models for the children a healthy way of being in the world without some sort of perfectionism or conception that their self-worth is tied up in what they accomplish.

Then, the parents will want to practice accepting the children as whole beings just as they are. Yes, they need training in cultural norms, how to be kind, how to wait their turn and so forth. But if they feel accepted and loved just as they are, they become free to develop their natural strengths, curiosity and interests.

Introduce the children to music, art, sports, nature, history, science and more through shared experiences. Then let the children set the pace in following up on those interests, rather than pushing children into activities for which they have no interest or ability, simply because the parent thinks it would be “good for them.”

Learn from reading or taking parenting courses how to allow children to learn through the natural and logical consequences of their thoughts and behaviors. Allowing poor choices in a safe environment is a much more effective learning process than lectures and nagging. If a preschooler won’t get up and dressed by the time a working parent need to leave, that child can go to preschool in his or her pajamas. A thoughtful parent can bring along a change of clothes but where at all possible, let the child learn from his or her choices.

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least stressed states, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Work-Related Stress, 2) Money-Related Stress, 3) Family-Related Stress, 4) Health- & Safety-Related Stress.

We evaluated those dimensions using 33 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of stress.

We then calculated the overall score for each state and the District based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Work-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Average Hours Worked per Week: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Average Commute Time: Half Weight (~1.92 Points)
• Average Leisure Time Spent per Day: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~3.85 Points)
• Income Growth Rate (2015 vs. 2014): Full Weight (~3.85 Points)

Money-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Median Income: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
  Note: Adjusted for cost of living
• Debt per Median Earnings: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Personal Bankruptcy Rate: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Share of Population Living Below Poverty Line: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
• Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)

Family-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Divorce Rate: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Share of Single Parents: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Cost of Childcare: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
  Note: Adjusted for median household income
• “Parental-Leave Policy” Score: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
• Head Start Program Enrollment & Funding: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
  Note: This composite metric considers the percentage of low-income children enrolled in Head Start and the amount of Head Start federal funding per child (adjusted for cost of living).
• Well-Being Index: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Health- & Safety-Related Stress – Total Points: 25

• Share of Adults Who Felt Stressed in the Past Day: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Share of Adults in Fair or Poor Health: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Share of Adults Diagnosed with Depression: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Mental Health: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Unaffordability of Doctor Visits: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: Measures percentage of adults aged 18 and older who reported not seeing a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost.
• Share of Population with Health-Insurance Coverage: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: “Population” includes noninstitutionalized civilians aged 16 and older.
• Psychologists per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Prevalence of Binge Drinking: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: Measures the percentage of adults who consume four or more drinks on one occasion.
• Physical Activity Rate: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Share of Adults Getting Adequate Sleep: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: Measures percentage of adults aged 18 and older who reported getting seven or more hours of sleep per 24-hour period.
• Bullying Incidents Rate: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: Measures both the percentage of high school students who were bullied on school property and the percentage of high school students who were bullied electronically/online
• Crime Rate per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Quality of Infrastructure: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: “Infrastructure” refers to roads and bridges.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Health Foundation, Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, Council for Community and Economic Research, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, TransUnion, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Child Care Aware of America, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Institute for Early Education Research, Gallup-Healthways, Kaiser Family Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and The Road Information Program.