SALT LAKE CITY - Utahns are stressed. A recent Gallup poll says we're more stressed than residents in all but three states.
More than 350,000 people across the country were asked whether they feel stress a significant amount of the time.
West Virginians top the list of stressed states, with 47.1 percent saying they feel stressed a lot of their time. Rhode Island, Kentucky, Utah and Massachusetts round out the top five.
On the other side of the scale, Hawaiians say they're stressed the least. Louisiana, Mississippi, Iowa and Wyoming come next.
In Utah, 44.6 percent say they feel stressed. That number compares to the national average of 40.6 percent.
So why are Utahns so stressed?
"Just trying to pay bills stuff like that, work, being married, playing all the roles that you're supposed to play," said Matt Auger.
Expert Michelle Lewis says that stress keeps us from doing things that would help us deal with stress.
"Especially when we feel prolonged periods of stress, we don't eat well, we don't sleep well. 'I can't find the energy to go to the gym,'" Lewis said. "So all of those pieces that are so important for stress management are put by the wayside."
But the news in the Gallup poll isn't all bad. Utah is among the states where residents say they experience enjoyment a lot during the day, with 88.7 percent of residents saying they feel enjoyment. That puts us as number three nationwide.
Hawaii again tops that list, but Utah's neighbors Wyoming, Idaho and North Dakota round out the top five.
Residents of West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Kentucky and Rhode Island say they feel the least enjoyment.
