NEW YORK — How much would you pay to erase 2020 from your memory? A new survey finds the average American would be willing to drop almost $2,000 to do so.
The OnePoll survey asked 2,000 Americans over 21 to reflect on the stresses of the past year and how they plan to tackle the new year. Researchers discovered people would be willing to spend an average of $1,835.81 to forget about 2020 completely. That’s more than a brand-new desktop iMac.
Most stressful moments from a stressful 2020
Naturally, COVID-19 tops the list of the year’s most stressful events, with the United States’ response to the global pandemic following closely behind.
Other issues that stressed Americans out last year include the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, followed by the confirmation hearings of her successor Amy Coney Barrett, and the tragic death of NBA great Kobe Bryant.
Commissioned by CBDistillery, the results discovered that the average American estimates they lost around 245 hours of sleep throughout the course of the tumultuous year. Due to these stress points and many others, respondents lost approximately five hours of sleep a week in 2020.
The average respondent also gained an average of 13 pounds last year just due to stress. The results also find 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 daily news cycle.
Getting rid of bad habits in 2021
It’s no surprise that three in 10 people 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. Another three in 10 respondents also shared that drinking less alcohol overall is one of their resolutions for the new year. Sixty-four percent admit 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,” says Chase Terwilliger, CEO of CBDistillery, in a statement. “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 percent 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. Over a third of Americans (35%) said they’ve used the marijuana ingredient 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,” Terwilliger adds. “With six in 10 respondents struggling to find an alternative tool to combat stress this year – CBD is certainly an option for this.”