The Most Stressful Time of the Day in Massachusetts IS….

A new survey reveals that the most stressful time of the day is.... 8:15am! And I think that makes perfect sense, especially in more congested, traffic heavy, areas like Boston (and much of Massachusetts in general).

Onken commissioned the survey, which polled 2,000 adults and revealed that our most stressful time of the day is over and done with before much of our days have even gotten going and up to speed! But let's think it through:

If you're a parent, you're rushing around packing lunches, making sure backpacks are cued up and ready to go, perhaps cooking and cleaning, and making sure those kiddos make it out the door on time to be whisked away to school. Or maybe that's you too - driving them there. Once that's all done it's time to get yourself ready quickly before hopping in the car and sitting in traffic. How infuriating. On a daily basis.

Right about that time when you're losing all steam on the highway and settling into grid lock might be somewhere around 8:15a, huh? I understand (and detest) that stress.

The poll also found that we're not experiencing moments of happiness as much as we'd minimally like to. The poll showed that people want 27 meaningful moments of happiness a week while we're actually getting just around 20.

So my personal takeaways from this survey are: 1) sleep until 8:16am whenever possible and 2) pick up a new hobby that makes you happy and bump those happy moments up a bit. Happiness is really important - and you deserve it.

And while we're speaking on stress and happiness in general, a new study has determined THE happiest cities in New England. SmartAsset presented the data, which doesn't paint New England in a very happy light. I mean, we kind of know we're salty, but it still stings when somebody else says it about us... kind of.

A new report looked at the Happiest Cities in America. I pulled up their master list and I scrolled down, down, down until I finally reached the first entry in New England. Are we really that salty? Yup, and pretty proud of it actually. And I wouldn't say we're not happy - for the most part - I'd say we're misunderstood. Anyway, these are the happiest cities in New England according to that new report.

The report was done by SmartAssets, who considered a variety of happiness variables while determining the happiest to least happy (I was going to say "most miserable" but that seemed cold). The study reviewed a number of those across 90 of the nation’s largest cities, including how many residents earn $100,000 or more, life expectancy, marriage rates, and traffic volume. They used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute’s County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report to put the rankings together.

Arlington, Virginia exhales rainbows as they have been deemed "the happiest city in America," topping the list. Plano, Texas takes second happiest place. Fremont, California gets the bronze medal of US happiness.

We had to scroll all the way down to #67 to begin finding the happiest cities in New England and as it turns out BOSTON is the happiest city in New England. In case you're wondering who got the dubious honor of "most miserable" - ahhhh! - least happy was Detroit, Michigan. Detroit finished in 91st AKA last place. That makes me feel a little better about Boston being #67... but only a little.

Here they come! Every New England city that made the Top 91 Happiest Cities in America list. Don't blink!

Boston finished as the #67 happiest city in America. That kind of stinks. But it's good enough to make it the Happiest City in New England! Congratulations Boston!!! (Kind of.)

These things should make you happy in Boston:

Boston was the ONLY city in New England that made the Top 91?!? And it's not because we're only talking about large cities. El Paso, Texas, Toledo, Ohio, and Stockton, California all made the list and they're not biggie biggies. Man, SmartAssets don't get the warm n' fuzzies when they visit the Northeast, huh?

If you're salty and you know it clap your hands. *clap clap*

See SmartAssets full rankings, methodology, and more RIGHT HERE!