Where People Sweat the Small Stuff

Stress. It’s something many of us have encountered at some point in our lives. When it comes to stress, there’s big and little stuff to worry about. The big stuff can include anything from paying your bills to finding a job while little stuff might include a slow internet connection or traffic.

At Solitaired, we understand the need to take a little time for yourself to relax. Whether that means reading your favorite book, taking a bath, or playing a game of Spider Solitaire, amidst moments of stress, time to yourself can help you feel recharged. So our team decided to set out to find where Americans are sweating the small stuff most often and what things are plaguing their minds.

To determine this, we surveyed Americans in every state asking a variety of questions regarding the frequency with which they stress over small inconveniences, the things that have recently bothered them, and more. Read on to see how your state ranked among the rest.

Key Takeaways

• Residents in New York, Iowa, and Nevada are the most likely to sweat the small stuff in life.
• Residents in Las Vegas, NV, Philadelphia, PA, and Boston, MA, are the most likely to sweat the small stuff in life.
• On average, 1 in 5 Americans say they sweat the small stuff often.
• Americans are most likely to stress over losing something briefly, poor internet connection, and traffic.
• Overall, 44% of Americans say they let small stuff ruin their day
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• When it comes to sweating the small stuff, 56% of Americans have felt embarrassed about what stressed them out.

The States That Stress the Most Over Minor Inconveniences

Even the most minor of inconveniences can still get under our skin. For some people, a bad day topped off by heavy traffic on your drive home can be the final straw, but for others, the small stuff always causes stress. If you are one to feel anxious over small things, you’re not alone, as 1 in 5 Americans say they sweat the small stuff often.

Topping the charts for the most stress over minor inconveniences is New York. With a small stuff stress score of 98.41 out of 100, the Big Apple residents have recently stressed more than residents of any other state about running a few minutes late, food delivery delays, not finding something to watch on TV, and social media posts not getting more likes.

In second place is Iowa, with a score of 97.79 out of 100. Nearly 3 in 5 Iowa residents say they have been annoyed by bad weather recently, while another 63% say deciding what to have for dinner causes them stress.

Coming in third for sweating the small stuff is Nevada, where residents have most recently stressed more about minor spelling or grammar mistakes and slight weight gain than any other state.

Cracking the top 10 for feeling stressed about small things are Massachusetts (7) and Florida (9), where residents are the most likely to think people who live in their area sweat the small stuff more than normal.

Overall, we found younger generations are more likely to stress over minor inconveniences than older generations. Similarly, Gen Zers are the most likely to let small stuff ruin their day.

Where Americans Stress Most About Tech

Certain things in life stress us out more than others, so in addition to an overall stress score, we decided to analyze stress by category. First up is tech which is deeply woven throughout our lives as we use it every day. For some people, tech is an outlet for relaxation as they turn to online gaming and social media to unwind, but this isn’t the case for all.

For other people, tech, at least at times, can even be the route of their stress. This is the case for Washington and New York residents, as they lead the way with the most tech stress.

When it comes to a poor internet connection, Washington, Nevada, and Kansas residents are the most likely to worry. While New York, Mississippi, and Nevada residents are the most likely to stress over not finding something to watch on TV.

Although silly to some, New York, Washington, and Alabama residents have recently stressed more than any other state about their social media posts not getting more likes.

Where Americans Stress Most About Having to Wait

Another topic of concern for many Americans is having to wait. From checkout lines to customer service calls, there are plenty of areas of our lives where we are forced to be patient and wait our turn, but without something to occupy our minds, that patience can run out.

Topping the charts for the most annoyed by waiting are California and New York residents. As two of the most populated states in the country, perhaps it is the sheer number of people that causes so much anxiety around having to wait. However, it seems certain aspects of waiting in life don’t bother California and New York residents, as both states ranked low for stressing over waiting in traffic.

Another area of our lives that many people find annoying are food delivery delays, which New York, Kentucky, and California residents have recently stressed about more than any other state.

Additionally, those pesky grocery store lines can get quite lengthy. For those in California, Iowa, and Louisiana, this has been a recent irritation more than anywhere else in the country.

Where Americans Stress Most About Appearance

Although sometimes viewed as vain, it is only natural to take pride in one’s appearance, but for some Americans, this is a common cause of stress. Leading the way for appearance-related stress are Utah and Nevada residents.

For Utah, Maryland, and Nevada residents, a small stain on their clothing has been a cause for concern recently. For some states, appearances extend to their vehicles as well with California and Minnesota residents the most stressed about a scratch on their car more than any other state.

Slight weight gain has been an area of irritation for Nevada and Mississippi residents recently, while a bad hair day has plagued the minds of Florida and Mississippi residents the most in the country recently.

Where Americans Stress Most About Transportation

For our final category, we analyzed stress around transportation. Topping the list for the most anxiety are Virginia and Pennsylvania residents.

Traffic is something many of us find annoying, but recently it has caused the most stress to Virginia and Connecticut residents. Similarly, parking issues have irritated drivers in California and Nevada more than any other state.

Finally, keeping a timely schedule can be important for many people, which may be a reason New York and Idaho residents have recently stressed more than any other state about running a few minutes late.

The U.S. Cities Where People Sweat the Small Stuff Most

On a more local level, we found Las Vegas, NV, residents are the most likely in the U.S. to sweat the small stuff. With a score of 98.51 out of 100, Vegas residents have recently stressed the most about parking, minor spelling or grammar mistakes, slight weight gain, and not finding something to watch on TV.

In second place for the cities is Philadelphia, PA, with a score of 95.07 out of 100. Residents of the City of Brotherly Love have been the most likely in the country to stress about a small stain on their clothes, leaving something somewhere, and bad hair days. Coming in third is Boston, MA, where 66% of residents have recently stressed over briefly losing something.

Sometimes after the heat of the moment has passed we can feel a bit silly for letting certain things get under our skin. For 56% of Americans, this is true as they reported feeling embarrassed about something that stressed them out.

The Small Things Americans Sweat Most in Life

After discovering the parts of the country that succumb to sweating the small stuff most often, we turned our attention to the things that cause us all stress from time to time. Topping the list for the most common minor inconvenience causing Americans irritation is briefly losing something as 63% of people say it has impacted them.

Second on the list is poor internet connection. We’ve all been there, whether you work from home or are simply trying to look something up on your phone and that loading circle just keeps spinning. It can really be annoying.

In third place for sweating the small stuff is traffic. There are certain times of the day when we expect a bit of a slower commute, but coming to a stop on a highway for no apparent reason can be a true test of any person’s patience.

Perhaps working hand in hand with traffic at times is our fourth most common cause of frustration among Americans, which is running a few minutes late. Sometimes all the planning in the world can’t prevent delays when faced with unexpected situations.

While commonly a joke among couples about the recurring struggle to pick a place to eat, deciding what to have for dinner has recently caused 1 in 2 people stress.

Overall, when it comes to sweating the small stuff, Americans are most likely to think social media posts not getting more likes is the silliest thing people worry about.

Relax With Our Online Games

Stressing over minor inconveniences is inevitable. Regardless of how cool-headed you are, some days certain things just get under your skin. Whether you hardly ever sweat the small stuff or find yourself always stressing over little things in life, it’s important to have a way to get over it.

For some that may include venting to a friend or just simply ignoring the issues, but another option is occupying your mind with something more fulfilling. At Solitaired, we know how important it is to have a mental escape from time to time, and online gaming is a perfect way to get it.

except when in traffic, of course). Check out the full selection of games today to find a new tool to keep you occupied the next time you find yourself sweating the small stuff.

Methodology

In this study, we surveyed Americans in every state to determine where people often sweat the small stuff. We asked which things they have stressed over in the past 90 days, what topics they find silliest to stress over, and their opinions regarding how they feel about stressing over small things in life.

We then awarded points to the answers that represented stressing over minor things in life and calculated an average score for each state and various cities. Finally, we adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most stress over small stuff in life. In addition to an overall stress score, we decided to break down scoring into multiple categories: technology, waiting, appearance, and transportation.

The technology category includes, poor internet connection, low phone battery, not finding something to watch on TV, and social posts not getting more likes. The waiting category includes food delivery delays and grocery store lines. The appearance category includes small stains on clothing, scratches on their car, slight weight gain, and bad hair days. The transportation category includes traffic, parking issues, and running a few minutes late.