Rethinking Stress: How Older Adults Navigate Everyday Challenges

Most adults 40-plus feel stress regularly, but few describe it as overwhelming. In fact, most describe a mix of frequent stress and a sense that they can manage it, often drawing on simple routines and social connections to cope. New AARP research takes a closer look at how stress shows up in daily life and how midlife and older adults are navigating it.

Stress is common and manageable

For many adults age 40-plus, stress is part of everyday life, but it is rarely extreme. Many experience stress regularly yet feel confident in their ability to handle it. While most midlife and older adults said their lives were at least somewhat stressful during the 30 days prior to taking the survey, relatively few (17%) reported high stress. The good news is that most expressed confidence in their ability to manage their stress, and they reported positive mental and emotional health.

Stress comes from many directions

For midlife and older adults, stress rarely comes from a single source. Instead, it reflects a mix of ongoing pressures across different areas of life.

Common sources of stress include:

• Health concerns
• Financial pressures
• Broader societal issues
• Family responsibilities

These sources often overlap, contributing to a sense of ongoing stress rather than isolated events.

Many recognize that stress can adversely impact well-being

Even though stress feels manageable for most, many recognize that it can negatively affect many parts of a person’s well-being. When asked how stress may impact health, most midlife and older adults see it as interconnected with both physical and mental health.

Stress is widely seen as mostly affecting:

• Sleep and energy
• Mood and emotional well-being
• Focus and memory
• Overall physical and brain health

But how does stress actually play out in everyday life?

Many say they have experienced stress-related symptoms

Symptoms of stress are most often experienced in everyday ways, through common physical (e.g., muscle tension) and emotional responses (e.g., irritability). These symptoms are not limited to moments of acute stress; they can surface at different times and in different ways.

Overall, the findings show that a range of physical and emotional symptoms — often associated with stress — are commonly reported in day-to-day life. Participants describe how they react to stress and how these symptoms show up in their daily lives:

“When stress gets the better of me, I tend to stress eat and end up shutting down.” —Female, age 41

“I exercise less and maybe eat more junk food.” —Male, age 71

“It depends on what’s causing the stress, but it can make me feel rundown, tired, or anxious.” —Female, age 42

Connecting with others emerged as a key tactic for managing stress

Many already rely on simple, practical strategies that fit naturally into their daily lives, using routines that help them reset, pause, and regain balance in the moment. These approaches — often including time with others — also highlight the important role social connection can play in managing stress. Many adults age 40-plus report strategies to manage stress that are grounded in simple, everyday actions:

• 46% spend time with friends or family
• 45% spend time outdoors or in nature
• 44% engage in hobbies or enjoyable activities
• 42% engage in physical activity or exercise

Beyond these most frequently reported strategies, adults age 40-plus describe managing stress in other everyday ways:

“I talk with a mental health specialist.” —Male, age 47

“Deep breathing and talking to my dog.” —Female, age 63

“When I’m stressed, what helps most is slowing things down and focusing on small, manageable actions … even a short break can reset my mind.” —Male, age 46

Together, these reflections point to a consistent theme: Managing stress often involves small, accessible actions rather than major changes.

A clear opportunity: Awareness is high, but guidance is limited

There is strong awareness that managing stress is important, but for some, there is less clarity on how to do it effectively.

• Most adults 40-plus say managing stress is essential to staying healthy
• Many believe they could be doing more
• Others say it’s difficult to know what actually works

This gap highlights an opportunity to better connect midlife and older adults with simple, practical approaches that feel realistic and achievable in everyday life. One of the clearest — and sometimes overlooked — ways people manage stress is through social connections.

Looking beyond stress: How social connection fits into the stress story

While this research focuses on stress, the findings point to a broader pattern seen across AARP’s work. In particular, they reinforce insights from the social connections work, which highlights how relationships can affect well-being in daily life.

Social connection is one of the ways people manage stress. Time with friends, family, and even pets can help people reset emotionally, gain perspective, and feel supported.

“What helps most is having someone who will just listen and not judge.” —Female, age 62

“I take a long walk… or call a friend to talk.” —Female, age 67

“Going outdoors, talking with friends, listening to music, pets.” —Female, age 66

At the same time, the role of connection is not always straightforward.

Nearly half of adults age 40-plus report feeling stressed, and many also experience loneliness. While about half turn to friends and family to cope, about a third describe their connections as weak, and about 1 in 5 say it is difficult to consistently maintain meaningful connections.

Together, these findings reflect an important tension: People value connection as a way to manage stress, but not everyone has the ability or circumstances to rely on it consistently.

Even small moments of connection, like reaching out to a friend or spending time with others, can help people feel more supported and better equipped to manage stress.

That’s where the right support can make a difference.

To learn how to be Better Together, visit the AARP Social Connections page to explore tools, tips, and ways to connect.

Methodology

The AARP 2026 Stress Management Survey was an 11-minute online survey of 1,770 adults age 40-plus, conducted from April 13 to April 22, 2026, via the Foresight 50+ panel. Data were weighted based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Qualitative quotes are drawn from a complementary survey of adults ages 40 to 85 fielded April 21 to 22, 2026 (n=578).

For more information, contact Cheryl Lampkin at clampkin@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact media@aarp.org.