How People Manage Stress: Stats
So, how do we tend to manage the unavoidable stress we experience every day in our lives? Here are responses to a survey by the American Psychologcal Association in their "Stress in America" report:
- Listen to music: 52%
- Exercise or walk: 47%
- Read: 44%
- Spend time with friends / family: 41%
- Watch television / movies (2+hours/day): 41%
- Take naps: 38%
- Play video games / surf Internet: 37%
- Pray / internalize faith: 37%
- Eat: 34%
- Spend time on hobbies: 30%
- Drink alcohol: 18%
- Shop: 18%
- Smoke: 16%
- Play sports: 9%
- Enjoy a spa treatment: 9%
- Meditate or practice yoga/similar: 8%
- Do nothing: 8%
- Gamble: 4%
- Play with / care for pets: 1%
- Gardening: 1%
- Take no action to help manage stress: 8%
Refer to the source for survey validity, details, etc. I find the above list interesting as an introductory talking point in my life-balance workshops and am encouraged at the top three items. They are considerably healthier alternatives to some of the others and reflect a change over time in how we manage stress. "In the olden days", smoking, drinking, and other more destructive behaviors prevailed.
Source: "Stress in America", the American Psychological Association.