By Amanda Morgan
A recent study showed most Americans face moderate to high levels of stress regularly. While many Americans are aware this stress can have negative impacts on overall well-being, they seem to do little about it. Unresolved stressed is linked to heart problems, high blood pressure, obesity, and intestinal complications. There are, however, some states that have a lower overall stress impact than others, per a report in the Motovo real estate blog. It ranked the states from highest to lowest overall stress based upon factors such as unemployment, commute length, population density, and average household spending.
1) North Dakota
First on this list is North Dakota with the lowest amount of stress. This low stress can be contributed to a multitude of factors from low unemployment rate to low average number of hours working per week to few people being uninsured. While all these factors may play a role in North Dakota having the lowest stress level in the country, the main factor may be something unusually overlooked: nature. North Dakota encompasses numerous mountains, forests, and parks. The residents in this area are immersed in nature and may be benefiting greatly from this exposure. Studies have shown that one of the best tools to help improve mental health is nature exposure. Exposure to nature has been linked to reduced anxiety, stress, and depression. North Dakota residents are in nature almost every day and this could be the reason they are number one on this list.
