How are Americans Coping with Rising Stress Levels in 2025?

As the United States navigates economic challenges, stress levels among Americans are on the rise. A survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults over 21 commissioned by Nicokick.com and conducted Censuswide, also reveals generational differences in how Americans perceive evolving economic realities. A high number of younger adults (69% of 21-24-year-olds) are feeling increasingly stressed, while older adults (55+) report more varied responses.

A Call for Stability: What Americans Need to Reduce Stress

When asked what would help decrease their stress, respondents pointed to two key factors: Improved physical health and self-care (32%) and a stronger economy (32%).

These findings suggest that improved personal well-being and a stronger economy would significantly reduce public stress levels. However, 8% of the respondents reported that nothing would help reduce their stress levels.

The survey also asked respondents about their primary ways of coping with these heightened stress levels. Nearly half (47%) reported they turn to friends and family for support, while a third of all respondents turn to consuming entertainment (TV, movies, books), avoiding the news and politics, and exercising as their coping methods. Only 9% seek professional mental health, but 15% rely on substances like alcohol, cigarettes, traditional tobacco, and cannabis to cope.

Given that smoking has historically been used as a way to cope with stress, the survey also asked respondents about the impact of smoking on women’s health issues, frequency of use, and opinions about the unique challenges of quitting.

A majority of individuals in the survey reported that they recognize the risks, but a notable 17% still engage in frequent tobacco use. The dangers of smoking are well-documented: Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing over 490,000 people per year. And secondhand smoke causes more than 19,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.

The Quitting Challenge

The majority of respondents (55%) neither agreed nor disagreed. Nationally representative Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey were used to analyze populations of US adults who self-reported having stopped smoking cigarettes. The survey included a sample of 27,651 individuals, focusing on those who successfully quit smoking cigarettes for at least six months in the past year while also considering 1,735 individuals who tried but were unsuccessful in their attempts. In 2022, an estimated 2.9 million US adults had stopped smoking in the past year, and these were the most popular methods they used to quit:

●Nicotine products: 54%

●E-cigarettes (in combination with other methods): 41%

●E-cigarettes (as a standalone method): 26%

●Prescription medications: 8%

●Other non-nicotine, non-prescription methods: 6%

“Stressful moments often push people to reach for quick relief—and for many, that’s still a cigarette," said Markus Lindblad, Head of External Affairs at Nicokick.com. "But smoking isn’t the solution. The long-term consequences are well-documented and deeply harmful. With a consumer-first approach as our foundation, we believe in offering better choices. That’s why smoke-free alternatives like nicotine pouches can play a meaningful role in providing adult nicotine users with a lower-risk option as they face life’s everyday pressures.”