Given that most of us have filed our income tax returns, it should be no surprise that April is Stress Awareness Month, so designated in 1992 as a way to focus on promoting healthy coping mechanisms.

(A big, fat tax refund seems like a nice way to cope.)

Stress is a national phenomenon, especially in these times, but levels vary in different parts of the country. The personal finance company WalletHub has issued its 2026 report on the most and least stressed states, based on data ranging from average hours worked per week to the personal bankruptcy rate to the share of adults getting adequate sleep.

The top five most stressed states: Louisiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, West Virginia and Arkansas. The top five least stressed states: South Dakota, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Some key stats:

— South Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate (3.1 times lower than Nevada's, the highest).

— New Hampshire has the lowest share of the population living in poverty (2.6 times lower than Mississippi's and Louisiana's shares, the highest).

— Utah has the lowest separation and divorce rate (1.7 times lower than the rate in New Mexico, the highest).

— Vermont has the lowest share of adults in fair or poor health (1.9 times lower than in West Virginia's share, the highest).

— Massachusetts has the most psychologists per 100,000 residents (7.5 times more than Mississippi, which has the fewest).

Body of Knowledge

Human taste buds regenerate every seven to 10 days but not forever. By age 60, most people have permanently lost about half of their taste buds.

Doc Talk

Intergluteal cleft: That, um, crease between the two large gluteal muscles you sit on — more crudely, your butt crack

Mania of the Week

Planomania: An abnormal desire to wander and disobey social norms, otherwise known as adolescence

Never Say 'Diet'

The Major League Eating speed-eating record for cheese curds is 5 pounds, 2 ounces in six minutes, held by Darron Breeden, who won going a-whey.

Food for Thought

Salt water is sometimes injected into raw meat, mostly chicken, to enhance flavor and increase the weight of the meat. Look on labels for "flavored with up to 10% of a solution" or references to chicken broth. The additional salt can be problematic for consumers with high blood pressure.

Best Medicine

A hypochondriac can't leave well enough alone.

Observation

"When I was born, I was so surprised that I couldn't talk for a year and a half." — American actress/vaudevillian/singer Gracie Allen (1895-1964)

Medical History

This week in 1880, the first U.S. patent for an electric hearing aid was issued to Francis D. Clarke and M.G. Foster. The device employed bone conduction by which sound is passed through vibration of the skull bone. But it would be another 21 years before the first commercially available hearing aid was produced: the "Acousticon," invented by Miller Reese Hutchinson.

Ig Nobel Apprised

In 2008, the Ig Nobel Prize in nutrition went to Massimiliano Zampini and Charles Spence for electronically modifying the sound of a potato chip to convince people chewing the chip that it was crisper and fresher than it really was.

Self-Exam

Q: Where on your body can you find these anatomical elements: glabella, philtrum, canthus, tragus, columella nasi, zygoma and antitragus?

A: These are all facial elements. The glabella is the smooth, bony area between your eyebrows, directly above the nose. The philtrum is the vertical groove or indentation located in the middle of the area between the nose and the upper lip. The canthus is the inner or outer corner of the eye where the upper and lower lids meet. The tragus is the small, stiff flap of cartilage at the front of the ear canal. The columella nasi is the fleshy external end of the nasal septum that separates the nostrils. The zygoma is the bone that forms the prominence of the cheek. And the antitragus is the cartilage projection opposite the tragus in the ear.

Curtain Calls

An 89-year-old Florida man named Robert Dreyer died on his birthday when, while driving through the town of Viera, his car struck a fire hydrant for reasons unknown. The crash wasn't violent, and Dreyer reportedly exited the vehicle, appearing unhurt.

However, as he stepped out, a 5-foot hole opened up beneath him. Authorities say the hole was likely created by the destruction of the hydrant and resulting uncontrolled water pressure, which was so great that it sprayed half a block.

Dreyer fell into the hole and was sucked underneath his car. Bystanders attempted to rescue him, but gushing water complicated efforts. He was eventually pulled out of the hole and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: LARAM at Unsplash