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America's 10 Least Stressed States: Gallup-Healthways

The Huffington Post     First Posted: 05/26/11 05:19 PM ET   Updated: 07/25/11 06:12 AM ET

In the last three years, when so much has changed, American stress levels have remained surprisingly the same.

Gallup recently released the survey results of their Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, and found 39.4 percent of the 352,840 respondents said they felt stressed "a lot of the day."

That's only slightly lower than last year, when 39.9 percent said they were that stressed, but higher still than in 2008, when 38.8 percent said they were stressed. Still, the differences are slim.

It's across states that larger levels of variation can be witnessed, the least and most stressed states in the country separated by about 15 percentage points. In general, the West and Northeast have the highest levels of stress, Midwestern states tending to have the least.

Over the last year, specifically, the state of Alaska has seen the greatest increase in stress, rising 2.6 percent. Wyoming, on the other end, saw the number of stressed persons fall by 4 percent, the biggest decrease of any state.

Below are the top ten least stressed states according to Gallup-Healthways.

10. Nebraska
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Percent who are stressed a "lot of the day": 38.1 percent
Percentage change from 2009 to 2010: -1.2 percent
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In the last three years, when so much has changed, American stress levels have remained surprisingly the same. Gallup recently released the survey results of their Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Ind...
In the last three years, when so much has changed, American stress levels have remained surprisingly the same. Gallup recently released the survey results of their Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Ind...
 
 
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07:50 PM on 07/06/2011
I hadn't thought of any of those places to be honest but they seem beautiful. Here something funny in case you don't live in one of these blissful havens.....: http://bit.ly/iqeLlD
04:28 AM on 07/01/2011
Simply Beautiful!
04:25 AM on 07/01/2011
I want to go there!
03:04 PM on 06/13/2011
I do not remember seeing Bogotá the last time I went to DC.
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oldwarhorse
USCG SEMPER PARATUS
05:26 AM on 06/06/2011
surprised to not see too many western states on the list.... Oregon for instance
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lynettema
Little old lady
12:45 PM on 06/04/2011
I forgot to add that most of these states have fewer people than most states. My fervent belief and soap box issue is that most of our problems come from overpopulation. I am far more stressed in Tampa, FL than I am when in IA.
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Nick9075
01:31 PM on 06/04/2011
Overpopulation of certain types of people that contribute nothing but rude behavior and breed kids that the gov't must help provide for.
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lynettema
Little old lady
02:27 PM on 06/04/2011
I assure you that there is plenty of rude behavior in Iowa - just not as much as Tampa because THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE! There is just more elbow room between rude people in more congested areas.
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WoodyCPM
Now what?
08:02 AM on 06/29/2011
Jean-Paul Sartre, the 20th century French philosopher said, "Hell is other people."
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lynettema
Little old lady
12:42 PM on 06/04/2011
I live in Iowa and have been severely stressed since the Cons took control of our state.
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peskyliberal
From my Blue Heaven
07:21 PM on 06/03/2011
Hawaii to Arizona:

"Duh, Winning"
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CobaltMoon
They paved paradise & put up a parking lot.
07:15 PM on 06/03/2011
I'm not buying the stress free DC thing. I know people who live there, barely. They are stuck because they have jobs but the cost of living is so high they can't save enough to relocate.....but wait, they have jobs....I don't have one anymore......I'm always stressed......especially since I gave up liquor and cigarettes last year (not for health reasons, can't afford them with the IL "sin" taxes) okay, I'm moving to DC.
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catcrazee
Rescue...save their life and yours
07:01 PM on 06/03/2011
... it is spelled "Columbia" and it's not a state.
11:40 AM on 06/03/2011
South Dakota, "At least we're not North Dakota."
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CharlieVer
Rush is a rock band...
10:33 AM on 06/03/2011
District of Columbia is a state? Then why doesn't our flag have 51 stars, why doesn't our Senate have 102 Senators and why do they have license plates that read, "Taxation without Representation"?
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helensaghy
02:30 PM on 06/03/2011
Yep. I also cannot believe that DC is a low stress 'area' due to unemployment, cost of living, slums (a big portion of DC is a slum), low paying employment, traffic, etc. There is a low percentage of true 'haves' in DC. The rest are have nots and illegal aliens. The very appearance of most of DC, the capital of the free world, is completely slummy looking. I can't believe this author. Probably did a tour of the Smithsonian, the White House, the Monuments, etc., and stamped it all relaxing good.
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sassiestkat
If it walks & quacks like a duck, it's a cow
02:42 PM on 06/02/2011
I have been in Hawaii since Dec 2009, courtesy of my husband's military duty station. I can say I truly love it. The spirit of aloha is alive and well here, as is a very healthy and useful attitude toward mental health (and thus, whole body) wellness of mindfulness training. It's something that at first was so foreign to me, I was highly skeptical but it's effective and has improved my health (all areas) 100 fold (and I didn't have any major health problems to start with). I recommend Googling "mindfulness training", it will without a doubt, have a positive effect on your life.
12:59 PM on 06/22/2011
Thank you for the tip!
Cheers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ4bx4r1VeQ
01:53 PM on 06/02/2011
Stupid is as stupid does.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
12:23 PM on 06/02/2011
Didn't know we had a District of "Colombia" here in the U.S....
abbraxus
Parental Discretion Is Advised
01:56 PM on 06/02/2011
Well not officially we don't.
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sassiestkat
If it walks & quacks like a duck, it's a cow
02:43 PM on 06/02/2011
Haha...GMTA? I had the same thought, "Since when is DOC a state?"