How Stressful It Is Living In NYC Compared To Other US Cities

New York, fairly or unfairly, has the reputation as being perhaps the most stressful United States city to live in. Some surveys rank it at the top most stressful, some put it second, and some put it further down on the list, but it is included on most lists of top stressful cities.

Many reasons why New York is stressful to live in

There are many things that make New York City more stressful to live in than other cities. As Clive Thompson wrote in New York magazine about “The Ecology of Stress,” there can be a lot to get stressed out over in New York:

“When you consider the ecology of stress, New York is like a psychological experiment designed specifically to test the bounds of sanity, Thompson writes. “Take a few million type-A strivers, jam them into tiny apartments and 50-hour-a-week jobs, deprive them of grass and nature, then have them drink way too much and travel around in cramped underground tubes,” he says. “Every time someone steals that cab from under your nose at rush hour or the landlord jacks your rent up higher, your body reacts.” That is a real recipe for stress.

So yes, it’s true that there is a lot to stress you out in New York City, as Thompson aptly notes. Think of a typical day of a New York commuter from the outer boroughs. Get up early to make the train, subway, bus, or ferry, or get on the road. Deal with traffic or crowded methods of public transportation. Go into work, and deal with the stresses of the modern workplace – long hours, layoffs, and the like. Then have them do it all over again at the end of the day.

And unlike other cities and towns, where people at least have a big house and/or large backyard to relax in when they get home from work, many New Yorkers, unless they are rich or connected, may have a small home. They may even have to share that super-small space with a roommate. And they will generally have to pay more for that small space than many other cities.

There is help to reducing stress in New York City

Fortunately, not everything is completely bleak when it comes to living in New York. You have plenty of options to reduce stress. Here are some of them:

Go to one of the city’s many parks and get some fresh air. You would be surprised at how relaxing you can feel in one of New York’s parks, like Central Park in Manhattan or Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

Learn relaxation techniques. There are ways to lower your heart rate, and lower your stress. From yoga to meditation and other ways, you can learn to relax.

Talk to a psychiatrist in NYC. Seeing a psychiatrist in NYC is a popular way to learn how to cope with stress. To learn more about what a psychiatrist in NYC can help you deal with the stress, click here.

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