Even Republicans are very stressed out right now
If you're feeling stressed out, you are far from alone. The American Psychological Association has found that Americans are experiencing the highest levels of stress that they've had in the past 10 years, The Washington Post reports. And it doesn't matter if you're liberal or conservative — in total, 66 percent of Americans are worried about the future of the country, with 76 percent of Democrats reporting they're stressed and an entire 59 percent of Republicans saying the same, Bloomberg reports.
Stress is not unfamiliar to Americans, but typically it is focused around work and money. In the APA's most recent survey, politics jumped up on the list: Fifty-seven percent of people experienced stress thinking about the political climate of the country, and 49 percent were stressed out about the election's outcome. The uptick in political stress particularly affected minorities, millennials, people with a college education, and people living in urban areas of the country.
Stress, of course, can have a negative impact on a person's health, in addition to straining relationships or work. Psychologist Vaile Wright told The Washington Post that Americans need to "really prioritize taking care of yourself." In January alone, 80 percent of people experienced tension headaches, depression, or feelings of being overwhelmed.
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"The fact that two-thirds of Americans are saying the future of the nation is causing them stress, it is a startling number," Wright added. "It seems to suggest that what people thought would happen, that there would be relief [after the election], did not occur, and instead since the election, stress has increased. And not only did overall stress increase, what we found in January is the highest significant increase in stress in 10 years. That's stunning."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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