Our Last Nerve: Texas #1 Most Stressed State in America

Everything's bigger in Texas. Including our stress level.

According to a report released last month by insurance provider William Russell, Texas claimed the top spot when it comes to the most stressed states in the nation.

Why are we so tense in the Lone Star State? There are several reasons.

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Most Stressed States in America

The stress level in Texas appears to be rising.

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Last year, a WalletH ub study ranked Texas sixth for work-related stress, seventh for family-related stress, and number 10 overall.

Those rankings were based on four stress categories:

Work
Money
Family
Health
Safety

In 2021, South Dakota was the state with the least stress, and Nevada was the number one most stressed state in the nation.

Why is Texas so Stressed?

Sometimes all we need is some clean air to breathe.

One of the biggest contributing factors to stress in America is air pollution.

According to Popular Science, Tesla just got fined for violations of the Clean Air Act at its Fremont, California plant and will pay a penalty of $275,000.

Texas ranks in the worst five states with a daily level of 23.7 for average air quality index.

The report starts with the most stressed cities worldwide, and shows that Texas also has significantly higher reported levels of CO2 emissions from large facilities than any other state.

Montana is the second most stressed state in the nation. It is one of the worst states for mental health, with a suicide rate of 26.2 per 100,000 of the population.

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The Least Stressed State in the USA

The least stressed state in the country? Delaware.

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One of the reasons for this is the fact that Delaware has the cleanest air in the United States.

Delaware’s air quality index is 3.6, a rating which is largely unaffected by air pollution travelling downwards from other New England states.

How Can I Reduce Stress?

Some ways to reduce your stress level are simple and inexpensive. They involve sight, smell, touch, taste, movement, and sound.

Sight - Look at a favorite picture or funny meme
Smell - Light a candle or walk outside and get some fresh air
Touch - Hold a pet or a comforting object
Taste - Chew some gum or have a small healthy snack
Movement - Exercise or squeeze a stress ball
Sound - Listen to your favorite music or try to find a quiet space

If all else fails, take a nap! You can't be stressed if you're sleeping, right?

Need To Relax? Here Are Some Great Places In Texas For You

PICS: Texas 'Salvation Cabin' a Perfect Airbnb for Nature Lovers

Salvation Cabin in Wimberley lies in the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. It's a charming 1-bedroom just next to the Blanco River, so depending on when you go, you could do some tubing and kayaking (host Adena even provides the tubes and watercraft), and there's a lot of hiking, exploring, fishing, and nature watching to do.

Bet You Didn't Know: 10 Bizarre Texas Laws Still on the Books

Many states still have strange laws on the books that aren’t enforced or taken seriously anymore, and Texas is no exception.

Most of these laws are just funny now, but at one time, there was a valid (or at least somewhat valid) reason for them to exist.

Texas has plenty of strange rules and regulations that you could technically be prosecuted for if you violate them, since they've never been amended. Some of these are only for specific cities and not state-wide, but all of them are pretty odd!

Let's take a look at 10 of the weirdest ones in the Lone Star State.

Filed Under: Most Stressed States, Texas

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