We’re mostly exhausted, but women really are
The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.
Why we asked: Exhaustion came up in a discussion with a financial services client, as did an unrelated question and we thought they were both fascinating, so we asked.
What we found: 2025 was a long year, which Americans rated just a six/seven out of ten. The news is just one aspect of that. The uncertainty we see in the Vibe Check is another. All of it adds up and takes a toll.
Six in ten of us have often felt stressed or nervous and even exhausted in past month. Women are much more likely (67% to 53%) to say they are exhausted then men. And I know what you’re thinking, but no, Democrats and Republicans are both exhausted and stressed at the same levels.
One thing that isn’t exhausting us is the overall strength of the financial markets. The Dow was up double digits for the third-straight year. While that doesn’t tire us, 22% says it makes us feel guilty because the world around us is so terrible that winning financially feels bad.
When you consider that we didn’t screen that for people who have investments, that’s a not-insignificant number. There’s no variation on that by income, either. So that’s an interesting thing for marketers, especially those in financial services, to watch.
Taken together, the idea of empathy in marketing might be a good one to employ in 2026.
More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:
What’s going on with young American men and how that impacts the rest of America, in five charts
People are not fans of dynamic pricing
One big way this holiday shopping season was different
What do we think 2026 will look like?
What’s changed and what hasn’t in our food habits
The Ipsos Vibe Check: Here's how Americans feel about the government this week
The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?
