If life has felt unusually heavy lately, you have plenty of company. The American Psychological Association’s newly released 2026 Stress in America report describes a population carrying financial pressures, concerns about the country, and uncertainty about the future. Perhaps most troubling, many Americans appear to be accepting this strain as simply how life works now.

The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that 77% of adults identified the cost of living as a significant source of stress. The nation’s future was a significant stressor for 74%. Meanwhile, 72% agreed that stress is something they have to live with. These pressures can follow people from the grocery store to the kitchen table, and into bed at night.

The findings also suggest shrinking expectations and withdrawal from life. Fifty-nine percent felt they were doing everything right yet still falling behind, while 56% reported lowering their expectations for what they could achieve. Nearly half, 47%, reported pulling back from some form of social participation because of stress, uncertainty, or feeling overwhelmed. And 51% felt too emotionally drained to stay engaged with everything happening in the world.

Consider what this means as we move through autumn, toward an election and the holidays. People are carrying real concerns while........

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