What seemingly small thing pushes you over the edge? That’s what a new survey asked to find out the little things that stress Americans out most. And it turns out, it doesn’t take much to send our anxiety out of control.
According to the poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults, simply seeing someone they really don’t want to talk to is the biggest little stressor overall. Nearly half (46%) of people admit that spotting a person they’d much rather avoid totally stresses them out.
- That’s closely followed by a knock on the front door when they’re not expecting guests (44%).
- Respondents also shared some of the weird things that cause them stress, including “the texture of my socks,” “aluminum cans,” and “the beeping sound on the TV to cover swearing.”
- The survey also asks what people do when they’re stressed and need to calm down and listening to music tops the list (58%).
- When they need to de-stress, more people would rather listen to their favorite artist or band than their partner (46% compared to 34%).
- Others rely on deep breathing and meditation (34%) or snuggling with their pet (32%).
- The average American has used their go-to method to unwind for more than a decade, so it makes sense that 84% consider it effective.
- For those who’ve tried CBD or THC, 20% combat stress by taking CBD gummies and 30% use THC products daily to manage their stress.
- Those who do feel it’s working well, reporting that their stress levels drop by an average of 54% with a CBD gummy and by more than two-thirds with THC (68%).
- In general, two-thirds (67%) of respondents feel like they get stressed out more easily today than five years ago.
- Around three-quarters say stress has negatively impacted their quality of life (73%) and their quality of sleep (77%).⠀
The Top 10 Little Things That Stress People Out Most
- When they see someone that they don’t want to talk to - 46%
- A knock on the front door when they’re not prepared for guests - 44%
- People talking to them when they want silence - 43%
- When their Wi-Fi is lagging or cuts out - 40%
- Listening to someone chewing loudly - 40%
- Phone calls when they’re not expecting one - 34%
- Someone near them heavy breathing - 25%
- Their alarm clock/alarm - 21%
- Text message alerts - 16%
- Their phone/notifications going off during a meeting - 15%
Source: Talker