Stressed Out About Money?

If so, you have a lot of company.

Fully 71 percent of adults identified money concerns as their single biggest source of stress in 2013, according to the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America report, derived from surveys by Harris Interactive. The good news is that this money-stress indicator has declined from 76 percent in 2010, in the wake of the Great Recession.

But the runner-up sources of stress are also closely related to money: work caused stress in 69 percent of adults surveyed, and “the economy” was identified by 59 percent.

Women are slightly more stressed than men.  Could it be because women earn less, on average? On the other hand, more men than women still have responsibility for being the primary breadwinner.

Teenagers are also worried about money.   Although school and being accepted by a good college are teens’ top concerns, more than two out of three said they were concerned about their family’s finances.

Stress creates a gamut of psychological and physical reactions, the association said. In teens, it can mean feeling overwhelmed, depressed, sad or fatigued. In adults, it causes everything from anger and irritability to a lack of energy, an edgy feeling, or an upset stomach.

Exercise and listening to music help. But only a minority of adults surveyed said they’re good at alleviating stress, the organization said.