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IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE LONG ASSOCIATED WITH THE SLOWER, MORE RELAXED LIFESTYLE. SOUND STRESS FREE, RIGHT? WELL, A NEW STUDY IS CHALLENGING. THAT VIEWPOINT. AND MAYBE LIFE IS NOT AS CHILL AS WE ONCE THOUGHT. SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ALABAMA RANKED IN THE TOP TEN OF THE MOST STRESSED STATES IN THE U.S., DEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE STRESSED ISN’T EASY, THOUGH. BUT FOR THIS STUDY, WALLETHUB RESEARCHERS LOOKED AT WORK MONEY, FAMILY HEALTH, SAFETY, THEN BROKE THOSE DOWN INTO CATEGORIES THEY BELIEVE AFFECT STRESS, LIKE AVERAGE WORK COMMUTE TIMES, BANKRUPTCY RATES, DIVORCE RATES, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RATES. �������� 13 S BRYCE OSELEN WENT STRAIGHT TO THE PEOPLE WITH THESE FINDINGS TO GET THEIR TAKE ON THE STATE OF STRESS IN ALABAMA. I CAN LOOK AROUND IN MY DAILY LIFE AND SEE A LOT OF STRESSES GOING ON ALL THE TIME SCHOOL WORK, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT. WE DO NOT HAVE JOBS OR WE DO NOT CARE TO WORK. THAT’S HARD. RESEARCH SHOWS THE STATE OF ALABAMA RANKS EIGHTH IN THE NATION FOR MOST STRESSFUL PLACE TO LIVE. PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH SAY THE RANKING ISN’T SURPRISING. THIS IS OUR HOME. YES, IT’S STRESSFUL BECAUSE WE’RE OVERPOPULATED AND WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. THE STUDY, CONDUCTED BY WALLETHUB, RANKS BIRMINGHAM EIGHTH BASED ON RESIDENTS NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP. LOW CREDIT SCORES AND MONEY PROBLEMS. WE DO NOT HAVE JOBS OR WE DO NOT CARE TO WORK. IT’S A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE OUT HERE WILL NOT WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GETTING PAID ENOUGH TO WORK. ALABAMA ALSO RANKS IN THE TOP FIVE FOR HAVING THE LEAST. PSYCHOLOGIST IN THE COUNTRY. WAKING UP EVERY DAY AND WANTING TO REACH THAT GOAL INSTANTLY KNOWING THAT, HEY, THE GOAL MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE OR IT MIGHT NOT BE BEST TO INSTANTLY GET THE GIFT THAT I WANT FROM GOD. PEOPLE IN BIRMINGHAM SAY THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PLACES LIKE RAILROAD PARK TO RELEASE SOME STRESS. I STARTED BRINGING MY DOG DOWN HERE TO THE PARK. I THINK THAT US AS PEOPLE SHOULD GET OUT MORE EXERCISE AND FIND OTHER WAYS TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES BESIDES SITTING AROUND. JUST COMING OUTSIDE AND ENJOYING THE NATURE AND TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DOWNTOWN PART OF THE CITY. GET GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH NATURE, YOU KNOW. AND IF THAT DOESN’T DO THE TRICK, EXPRESSING GRATITUDE MAY BENEFIT THE WORLD AROUND YOU. IT’S ALL ABOUT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. YOU LOWER YOURSELF. YOU LOVE OTHERS. IN BIRMINGHAM, BCE JOSLIN, �������� 13 OUT OF THE MOST STRESSED STATES, IT’S NEW MEXICO THAT RANKS AS THE WORST OF THEM ALL.