By SWNS Staff
NEWS COPY w/ VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
How much would you pay to erase 2020 from your memory? A new survey found the average American would be willing to drop almost $2,000 to do so.
The survey asked 2,000 Americans (21+) to reflect on the stresses of 2020 and how they plan to tackle the new year and found they’d be willing to spend $1,835.81 to forget about 2020 – that’s more than a brand-new desktop iMac.
Naturally, COVID-19 topped the list of the year’s most stressful events – with the United States’ response to the global pandemic closely behind.
The top events that stressed Americans out after the pandemic included the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – and the following confirmation hearings of her successor Amy Coney Barrett – as well as the tragic death of Kobe Bryant.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of CBDistillery, the results found throughout the course of the tumultuous year, respondents estimated they lost 245 hours of sleep due to these various stress points – approximately losing five hours of sleep a week.
The average respondent also gained an average of 13 pounds in 2020 – just due to stress.
The results also found that four in five respondents can’t wait to not have to stress over politics this year.
In fact, three in five are planning on starting a total detox from the news cycle – but one last event in the political world is leaving respondents a bit uneasy.
It’s no surprise then, that three in 10 pollsters said that if they could have one thing instantly in 2021, it would be to no longer deal with the most stressful aspects of their lives.
Three in 10 respondents also shared that drinking less alcohol overall is one of their resolutions for the new year – and 64% said it’s been easier to drink more during this time because they’ve been working from home.
“As we’ve seen through these results, the events really took a toll on Americans’ mental and emotional health,” said Chase Terwilliger, CEO of CBDistillery. “With stay-at-home orders and remote working, it really is easier than ever to pick up a drink. However, we’re happy to see that respondents are open to cutting back on their drinking habits and picking up other tools to combat their stress.”
A third of respondents said finding a way to manage their stress levels is also on their list of New Year’s resolutions.
This appears to be easier said than done, however, as 60% of those surveyed said they often struggle to find healthier alternatives to their bad habits at the start of a new year.
One in five respondents said the COVID-19 outbreak led them to incorporate CBD products into their routines – and 35% said they’ve used CBD prior to the pandemic.
“Over the past few years there certainly has been an increased interest in pursuing CBD products to ease mild stress and temporary anxiety,'' added Terwilliger. “With six in 10 respondents struggling to find an alternative tool to combat stress this year – CBD is certainly an option for this.
The 20 most stressful events of 2020
- The COVID-19 pandemic – 50%
- The US’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic – 37%
- The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – 36%
- The confirmation hearings of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court – 32%
- The death of Kobe Bryant – 30%
- The presidential election - 28%
- President Trump (overall) - 27%
- Australian bushfires – 27%
- The death of Chadwick Boseman – 24%
- Economic instability in the US - 23%
- Police brutality (overall) - 22%
- The killing of George Floyd – 22%
- Unemployment rates in the US - 22%
- Protests in Hong Kong – 21%
- The impeachment trial of President Trump - 18%
- The explosion in Beirut - 12%
- Murder hornets - 10%
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leaving the Royal Family - 9%
- Brexit - 7%
- Harvey Weinstein’s trial - 4%
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2021
- Save money - 41%
- Improve their mental health - 40%
- Weight loss - 38%
- Learn a new skill - 32%
- Start a new hobby - 32%
- Stress management - 32%
- Drinking less alcohol - 30%
- Pay down debt - 27%
- Spend more time with family - 26%
- Volunteer - 10%
