Are Americans more stressed than Indians?

Given the amount of stress in our daily lives, we can’t just take this lying down.

By ET Bureau | Apr 27, 2019, 10.26 AM IST

Americans are the most stressed people, according to a Gallup poll of more than 150,000 people around the world. This would come as a genuine surprise to most Indians, not just because we are so used to being number one on such counts — which is the nation with the largest number of fatal road accidents, the largest poor population, the most polluted cities — but also because when it comes to being stressed, Indians are born champions.

There are existential factors of stress, such as if you find yourself within three feet of a cow and do not belong to the majority community, if you’re taking some entrance test or the other, looking for a job or if your sister has not come home after nightfall. Then there is another class of stress, such as being labelled bhakt or anti-national, or, if you are in Chennai, not being able to catch Thalaivar’s latest release in the first show on the first day.

The daily commute could entail getting stuck in traffic, being grazed by speeding vehicles, groped by passing louts, hustled by beggars and vendors of strange Chinese gadgets, not to speak of collapsing footbridges. Bosses who don’t know they are not quite God, colleagues who turn sniffy if you don’t know what GOT stands for — stress is thicker in the air than PM2.5. And, yet, the top straining spot goes to Americans? Now, that is stressful.

Say Goodbye To Work Worries: 5 Natural Methods To Beat Stress

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A recent study by Optum found that 46% of the Indian workforce reports suffering from some form of stress.

Don't let your busy and stressful worklife take a toll on you. Excessive stress can have a negative effect on your body, mood, as well as behaviour, ranging from headaches, anxiety, fatigue and irritability.

Dr Hariprasad, Ayurveda Expert at The Himalaya Drug Company, shares natural methods to cope with stress: