Stress in America

Stress does nothing but make a bad situation worse. Stress can deteriorate your mental and physical health by causing weight gain, depression and lethargy, all of which inhibit you from moving forward from a bad situation. When you tell people you're stressed out, one of their first responses is just to "stop," however, it's simply not that easy.

Some of the causes of stress have to do with the fact that we live in a demanding world where everything is fast-paced and focused on the need for materials. The American Dream says you need to have a big house, a family, a six-figure income, a nice car, a summer home in the Hills and more. People chase after these dreams and often find themselves weighed down with debt and more responsibilities than they are able to handle because of this pressure to have more material items. Even admirable desires, such as the desire to obtain a college degree, can put a tremendous amount of stress on the individuals involved.

According to the U.S. national debt clock, the average American is more than $45,000 in debt. Let's not forget that the nation itself is more than fourteen trillion dollars in debt. A lot of these debts have to do with taking out student loans for college. A year of tuition at the average college is easily $30,000, and can often cost even more. For a four year term, in addition to room and board, the price of college can rouse up enough stress in and of itself. Students in college are busy enough trying to juggle and exam in one class, a 2,000 word paper in another, a lab project in another and so on for an entire semester. Many college students sacrifice entire nights of sleeping just to be able to keep up with the amount of work they have to do. Adding student loan debt into the equation can put a tremendous amount of stress on these students that only makes it worse by causing illness and depression, which affects their ability to perform well and adds to the stress.

It doesn't seem to get much better when you get older, either. Americans in the 30-40 age range have a whole new list of stresses to deal with. First, there's dealing with the job that your college degree allowed you to get. You may have to work long and exhausting hours just to be able to pay for the expenses you have along with trying to commit time to your family, spouse, friends, church or other organization you belong to. The schedules can often get pretty hectic and stressful. Obesity has been steadily increasing in America and this is due partially to the hectic schedules forcing us to make bad nutrition decisions, but also as a result of stress-induced eating.

One of the best things you can do to bring stress relief is to take a moment to breathe. It's important to take breaks and time to yourself during your busy life, so you can calm down and rejuvenate yourself in between work. One of the best ways you can do this is by getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep forces you to work extra hard because you have to work against fatigue. Getting enough sleep offers help for stress because it ensures that you'll feel refreshed for the next day and will be able to perform your best without crashing in the middle of the day. Another good idea for relieving stress is maintaining a healthy diet. Because of the busy schedules many Americans have, we often find ourselves eating a McDonald's breakfast burrito and caramel Frappuccino on the drive to work in the morning. These foods tend to only have empty calories that don't offer the nutrients you need to feel energized for the day. As an alternative, give yourself enough time in the morning to eat a healthy breakfast like oatmeal and fruit. For that extra boost of energy, try replacing sugary and high-calorie coffee drinks with organic teas that can cleanse your system and help you get through the day.

Stress is a huge issue in America today. However, just by being aware of stress and the ways to reduce it, you can help combat its negative effects to stay healthier and happier.