04/11/2025

Stress is Contagious

Here’s how to avoid catching it

Current global turmoil has many of us stressed. Even if we are not directly affected by conflict, job losses or fluctuating markets hurting our retirement savings, we may know others who are.

Keeping stress at bay can be challenging. And at times when many people are stressed, avoiding stress contagion — the transmission of stress from one person or group of people to others — can be difficult. Particularly because of omnipresent social media, where stressors are often amplified.

“We tend to favor the negative aspects of news,” said Natalia Duque-Wilckens, an assistant professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University, so that is what we share with others. “And that’s a huge stress contagion that happens because we’re social, and we care about what’s happening to other humans as well.”

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.