The Weight We’re Carrying
State of Us: The private struggles shaping public life today
If you're feeling overwhelmed right now—financially, emotionally, existentially—you’re not alone. Since November 2024, we have now talked to more than 35,000 Americans, asking an open-ended question:
“What is currently causing you the most stress in your life?”
And the answers poured in like a collective exhale.
People are anxious. About their bank accounts. Their health. Their relationships. Their jobs. Their country. And they’re not speaking in generalities because only 5% of responses were too vague to categorize. The rest? Crystal clear. People know exactly what’s keeping them up at night.
This isn’t just how people feel—it’s what they’re living. But no, this isn’t a set of jaw-dropping revelations. However it is a foundation. One we can build on to go deeper, track change over time, and better understand how private stress shapes public life.
What’s Wearing Us Down
A small but fascinating 6% of respondents (aka '“unicorns”) said they’re not stressed at all. For everyone else, here’s what’s weighing most heavily and what it reveals about life in America right now:
Finances & The Economy | 33%
The #1 source of stress? Money.
Not surprisingly, people aren’t worried about abstract economic indicators. They’re worried about their lives. Paying rent. Making ends meet. Holding onto jobs. Managing debt.
“I have no money, I can’t pay my bills, I just recently got my utilities cut off and I’m having a hard time finding a job even though I’ve been applying since November.” – 28- year-old unemployed female from Decatur, AL
“What is causing the most stress in my life is I barely get my bills paid on time and because the company I work for doesn’t give raises so you barely make it from paycheck to paycheck.” – 51-year -old male with a college degree from Aurora, CO
Among 18–34-year-olds, nearly 40% of stress responses were financial. Older Americans? They’re more likely to mention inflation specifically, especially in the 65+ group (26%).
Family, Relationships & Loneliness | 20%
Close behind money are the stressors tied to our most intimate relationships. Romantic partners, struggling children, aging parents, lost loved ones. And for many, just the ache of being alone.
“I would like my wife and I to get away and enjoy what few years we may have remaining, but it doesn't look like we will ever get any enjoyment.” – 73-year-old male who is retired from Commercial Point, Ohio
“My dog passed away a couple months ago and I live alone so I am lonely.” – 59-year-old female from Toms River, NJ
One in five people who talked about family as a stressor mentioned grief or caregiving. A stark reminder that behind closed doors, so many Americans are doing quiet, invisible emotional labor every day.
Jobs & Careers | 15%
Work is supposed to offer stability. But it’s the third most common stressor people said naming burnout, job insecurity, and work-life imbalance as common challenges.
“My job is currently causing the most stress… The organization I’m employed with lacks communication and motivation.” – 28-year-old female making 50K a year from Las Vegas, NV
“Most of my stress comes from work. Specifically from all of the work I need to do which causes me to work late many days. Americans these days are overworked and this causes stress. We had a VP tell us he is not filling empty positions because he wants us to do more with less people.” – 47-year-old male making 150K a year from Austin, TX
For those with higher incomes and college degrees, stress often comes from work. But it’s not just about making money—it’s about purpose, burnout, corporate dysfunction, and the gnawing question: Is this really what I want to do with my life?
Health | 12%
The health-related stress split is generational: For older Americans, it’s physical health. For younger Americans, it’s mental health. But across the board, health is a constant undercurrent.
“Health issues. Since July 31 last year, I have been sick or injured constantly and unable to ride my bicycle, play pickleball or otherwise work out.” – 76-year-old male from Glen Ellyn, IL
“I’m easily prone to stress, so anything. Any health problem or symptom causes me extreme anxiety, my mom's health and appointments cause me extreme anxiety, my OCD, and going out to certain places causes me a lot of anxiety, too” – 37-year-old disabled women from Canadensis, PA
Among 18–34-year-olds, nearly 35% of health-related stress responses were about mental health. That’s three times the rate of older generations. This new finding tracks with what we’ve seen in our Gen Z research over the past three years: mental health is the defining public concern for a rising generation.
Politics | 10%
Let’s be clear: political stress is not universal. It’s heavily concentrated among Democrats and Independents—especially those with college degrees or higher incomes. Just 5% of Republicans named politics as their main source of stress, compared to 15% of Democrats.
“The news, the world, and all of the conflict….The fear of the future for myself and the younger generations. I lose sleep with worry.” – 48-year-old female from Newington, NH
“What is causing me the most stress in my life is what is taking place in The Federal government, with the dismantling of almost everything.” – 67-year-old male from Fort Lauderdale, FL
But even among those naming politics, there’s variation. Some are angry. Others are exhausted. Many just feel helpless.
Civic Strength in the Face of Stress
Here’s the silver lining (and perhaps where it gets more interesting): those most stressed about politics aren’t shutting down. They’re stepping up. We found that:
People who took 3+ civic actions in the past month were 2.5x more likely to list politics as their top stressor (13%) vs. those who took no actions (5%).
These “super-engagers” were also nearly twice as likely to be completely or very dissatisfied with the country’s direction (30% vs 16%).
And those who felt extremely informed were 7x more likely to name politics as a top stressor compared to the uninformed (17% vs. 2%)
And this pattern held true across every individual activity we measured. So while political stress may be exhausting, it’s not always paralyzing. For some, it’s a motivator.
Final Thoughts
Stress is a signal. It tells us something matters. And across the country, people are stressed because they care—about their families, their futures, and their communities. And despite the daily weight they carry, they’re still leaning in.
That’s not just resilience. That’s civic strength.
Still, we shouldn’t mistake this resilience for ease. It comes at a cost. People are exhausted. Some are barely holding it together. Others are already checked out. The line between showing up and burning out is razor-thin.
So the questions we’re sitting with are these:
What does it mean to build civic power in a country where most people are already running on empty?
How can leaders, institutions, and communities respond to stress with empathy and not just urgency?
What kinds of support would help turn private resilience into shared capacity?
Understanding stress isn’t just about naming what hurts. It’s about designing for what people are carrying and making sure they don’t have to carry it alone.
Stretch. Breathe. Question everything. Repeat.