My Stressed Out State by Jessica Steel

My Stressed Out State

I feel like stress is one of the most relatable topics for everyone who might be reading this because, unfortunately, there seem to be a minuscule amount of people who are stress free. Every week there are four new tests to study for, two new projects to worry about, and at least one teacher is leaving me completely confused, and that's just school. Then there's clubs, sports, leadership skills that I am somehow supposed to accumulate at the age of 15. Oh and college is right around the corner. Icing on the cake. That's just me though. Maybe one of you out there is reading this and thinking "I am perfectly happy and stress free!" though for some reason I doubt it. It doesn't help that we live in the most stressed state in America. Yes someone went out and did the math. The reasons mainly don't apply to me, but for anyone who has to deal with this I am so sorry. Remind me to give my parents a hug when I get home.

According to a study done by businessinsider.com, released October 4th 2018, NJ is the most stressed State in America. This was decided based on population density, average commute length, amount of people unemployed, uninsured, and the price of our homes. Now I knew that it cost a lot to live here, but the ratio between average home price and average income is 4.3:1. That's fricken crazy! Our houses cost over four times the amount we make! Who came up with that system?! The average weekday commute is 31.4 minutes, the amount of people uninsured is 10.7 percent, and the amount of people left unemployed is 7.9%. Those numbers may seem small, but out population is 9 million. That's 711,000 people without a job. So the next time you're stressed out, think about moving.