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Sure, 2020 might have been filled with stress, from the coronavirus, ongoing social unrest and injustice, and the election, just to name a few. But things are apparently less stressful here in Minnesota than in other states.

That's the word, anyway, from a new OnePoll survey, done for stress-relief supplement Natrol Relaxia. The survey, reported by SWNS Digital, a British news agency, surveyed 12,500 Americans in all 50 states on a variety of different stress-causing subjects and then rated them according to geography.

Overall, 72% said 2020 was the most stressful year they'd ever lived through (I'd agree with that!) Specifically, though, the survey found the five things Americans are currently most stressed about: 

  1. Finances/their financial situation 41%
  2. COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic 35%
  3. Politics and current news 29%
  4. Work/their job 21%
  5. Social life/personal relationships 19%

And while those five things certainly caused stress for those of us here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, apparently we're not worrying about them as much as other states, because the survey just ranked Minnesota tied for 47th place on the list of Most-Stressed States. (Looking at it another way, the North Star State would also then be tied for 4th place on the list of Least-Stressed States, right?)

Either way, that's a pretty good showing. It's exactly the same over in my home state of Wisconsin, which tied Minnesota for 47th place on the list. Meanwhile, our neighbors to the south down in Iowa are the least-stressed in the entire country, coming in 50th on the Most-Stressed List this year. Impressive job, Iowa!

So, what's the Most-Stressed State? The survey says that honor goes to the folks in the Show-Me state of Missouri, closely followed by Mississippi, West Virginia, Georgia and Louisiana.

As we know, all the financial upheaval caused by the pandemic was certainly a stressor for many of us in southeast Minnesota, not the least of which was felt by owners and employees of businesses that were forced to close. Keep scrolling to check out these Rochester places that aren't with us anymore-- even though we wish they were.

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc

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