On a scale of 1 to 5, how stressed out do you feel? Here's how a nationally representative sample of Americans answered that question, according to an AARP survey...



1. 24% not at all stressed
2. 18%

3. 25%

4. 16%
5. 16% a great deal of stress

About one-third of the public feels stressed out (4 and 5). Also, about one-third of the public reports feeling more stressed out today than three years ago, the survey found.



By age, older Americans are the least stressed. Nearly half of 50-to-64-year-olds (49%) and those aged 65-plus (47%) say they are not stressed at all (1 or 2). A smaller 39% of 18-to-34-year-olds and 34% of people aged 35 to 49 say they are stress free. Among people under age 50, four out of 10 report feeling more stressed out today than three years ago.



The biggest source of stress is finances, with 42% reporting money as a cause. The current political climate is second in importance, at 36%. The percentage who are stressed out by the current political climate rises with age, from a low of 31% among 18-to-34-year-olds to a high of 44% among people aged 65 or older.



Source: AARP, Dealing with Stress