The anxiety and stress levels of Washington citizens are at the top of the leaderboards year after year. Many different causes have been speculated. But whatever it is, no other city has been anywhere near Seattle in stress levels in recent years. 

In the larger populated areas of the state, such as Seattle and King County, is where stress/anxiety is shown the most. 54.5% of people say they often feel anxious and stressed. That’s 4.5% higher than second place Houston, which is a large lead and isn’t a good lead to have.  

The high levels could be due to many different factors. High Cost of living, weather, traffic, job pressure, and social isolation. For many residents, it’s a combination of a few. 

First off, Seattle has 156 days of rain a year. From October to May, there are consistent cloudy, rainy days. The constant gray that is apparent during the fall, winter, and spring months is depressing. From the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to bed, you won’t see any blue skies. The sun rising at nine and setting at four during the winter months doesn’t help either.   

Seattle and its surrounding areas are also known for very high living costs. It has become hard for many citizens to make ends meet.

It is very difficult to live a stress-free lifestyle when you’re constantly trying to pay off debt, especially when you realize that you can get a bigger house for half the cost in a different state. 

Washington is also a very politically active state, where most of the population leans very hard to either the left or right. Understandably, it can cause anxiety in relationships with friends, significant others, neighbors, and even family members. Especially in the last eight or so years, due to the intense political races and controversies. 

Another reason stress is so high is because it is more common for neighbors to be close friends in other states. Not many families are home grown Washingtonians. Therefore, it is less likely that they will have long-term family friends from when they were young. People moving in have to make a fresh start and Seattle/King county may not be the best spot for that. 

Two sport athlete Jaxon Menold is a Junior at Skyline High School. Keeping up with his grades and high-level athletics can be a struggle, especially in the gloomy weather. Menold states, “I feel like the days in the winter feel much longer and harder to endure when it’s always dark and wet outside. Which can affect my energy and motivation to thrive in my schoolwork and sports.” 

Along with the weather, the constant competition of school and sports can tire a student athlete out. “I think the competitive nature at Skyline, at times, helps me strive to be a better student and student athlete. But it sometimes can lead to me putting too much pressure on myself and compare myself to much with other people.” Skyline has a very competitive nature, as many students take high level courses, play sports, and hold down part time jobs. This obviously led to high stress and anxiety in the school/area. 

Although competitive nature is a good thing, in an environment where anxiety is this prevalent, make sure you’re taking care of yourself, and building good relationships to fall back on!