Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) - Stress is inevitable. Everyone experiences some type and level of it normally, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created a much more stressful environment than usual. A recent study on stress by the American Psychological Association found that more than 60% of adults have had undesired weight changes since the start of the pandemic, and 1 in 4 essential workers have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
Stress is not always a bad thing, though. Certain kinds of stress can have positive effects on a person’s well-being, at least in the right doses. According to Psychology Today, “A little bit of stress, known as ‘acute stress,’ can be exciting—it keeps us active and alert.” When stress reaches an unmanageable level, however, it turns “chronic.” That’s when we become vulnerable to its damaging effects such as health problems and loss of productivity. By one estimate, workplace-related stress alone costs society more than $300 billion per year – and that’s not even taking into account the pandemic.
To determine the cities where Americans cope best, the financial website WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 41 key metrics ranging from COVID-19 cases to average weekly work hours to divorce and suicide rates.
WalletHub’s finding show that residents of North Las Vegas have a lot on their plate. The city finished 8th on the list. Elsewhere, in Southern Nevada, Las Vegas ranked 35th, Henderson 43rd. There’s a lot less stress up north, with Reno ranking 131st. Taking its toll on the ranking the most for Southern Nevada cities were last place finishes in the category of “Highest Job Security”
You probably wouldn’t want to add stress to your life, but if you do, think about Cleveland and Detroit. Those cities hold the top two “most stressed” slots.
If you really need to chill out, head up to New England. South Burlington, VT, was ranked as “least stressed”, followed by Fremont, CA, and Madison, WI.
For a look at the full WalletHub study, click here.