The Internet Says Montana is Tied for 2nd ‘Most Relaxed State.’ Why?

A recent report came to my inbox from Hush., a Canadian-based bedding and mattress company, that revealed some interesting findings on which state in the US is the most relaxed. Before we get into their results (and how they determined we're tied with Alaska for 2nd most relaxed) I have to ask... do you really feel relaxed?

It's easy for people to think Montana is relaxing when looking at an image like the one above. Beautiful mountains, valleys filled with flowers, and perhaps a galloping mare somewhere in the distance. Or feeling the tension easing from your shoulders as you slowly float down the river in midsummer, just breathing in Montana. Yeah, that part of Montana is pretty chill. But what about the parts that aren't?

Soaring rent and cost to homeownership. This one is a big bummer for many locals, who are being priced out of affordable housing in most of the popular communities around the state. Freaking out about being able to afford a place to live is hardly what I'd call relaxing.

Generally lower wages. Not only are housing prices through the roof, but wages in Montana largely remain lower than in other parts of the nation. It's been this way for years. "Better paying jobs for Montanans!" has been spoken by every single politician I can remember. I won't hold my breath. Being broke = not relaxing.

Ridiculous property taxes. Up, up, and away!! Where they'll stop, nobody knows. Our property tax rates are among the highest. These ever-rising taxes can especially hurt those on fixed incomes, like retirees. I imagine that's not a very relaxing feeling.

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Ok, so what makes Montana more relaxed?

According to the report, the authors deduce that people who are having trouble sleeping are not relaxed. Hush. dug through Google Trends data to discover the level of interest out of 100 in each area for the following search terms: sleep anxiety, how to sleep better, insomnia, why can’t I sleep, sleep remedies, sounds for sleep, weighted blanket, white noise machine, and sleep apnea. 

Wyoming received the best score (23.78), followed by a two-way tie at 2nd place for Montana and Alaska with scores of 34.  Hush. wrote,

Both of these states have no interest for ‘sleep remedies’, suggesting that they have no problem falling into a relaxed state before bedtime. 

Why do think we don't have trouble falling asleep in Montana? Relaxing hobbies? Our beautiful landscapes? A strong work ethic? Alcohol? Shoot me an email: Mornings@BillingsMix.com.  By the way, the state where people were searching for sleep relief the most was Oklahoma. Why so restless, Sooner State?