Baggage Check: Under Pressure

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Dr. Andrea Bonior dives into the world of psychology.

THIS JUST IN: Americans show more stress than the binder holding Britney Spears' case file.

That stress appears to be increasing nationwide will not come as a surprise to many people. One glance at the latest news stories, self-help aisle or some ne'er-do-well abusing the shoulder in Beltway traffic could tell you that, as our world becomes more and more fast-paced, our nerves seem to become more and more frayed.

There's nothing trendier than someone declaring how "crazy" their week is, or a caffeinated, perky morning show host assessing just how frazzled our lives have become.

The reasons for this, however, are a little less clear. Fears of terrorism — cited by some experts as a factor — don't seem to pan out, as they wouldn't explain why the most recent American Psychological Association survey on stress revealed that nearly half of Americans consider themselves more stressed than five years ago, which was barely a year after September 11th.

Might it just be that we're more willing to admit being stressed now than we were before? Has our definition of stress changed? Is it the ramifications of war? Do economic factors — including the mortgage crisis — play a bigger role in this latest round of unease? What about the ever-widening grip of technology on our lives? Or the role of those Chris Crocker videos?

Whatever the causes, severe stress can have serious physical and emotional ramifications, and may very well be shortening our life spans. For tips on managing your stress, wherever it's coming from, see the APA's tips on stress management.

Talk back to Dr. Andrea by leaving a comment below. To ask a question for Baggage Check in the Express print edition, e-mail baggage@readexpress.com or submit an anonymous question here.