Google Trends reveals how we’re managing stress

CompassRed, the Wilmington data technology company, took a recent look at Google Trends data from before and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The goal? To get insight into how people are taking care of themselves in times of isolation.

The research, presented as an infographic by Data Analyst Ben Kates, covers several areas of self-care, including deep breathing, meditation, healthy eating and exercise.

What they found was that, unsurprisingly, all of these areas saw increases since widespread lockdowns.

Disruptions in regular patterns include recipe searches, which predictably spike around the November and December holidays and level off during the rest of the year. An early April 2020 spike in recipe searches was higher than the number of recipe searches for the last four holiday seasons. Chicken recipes remain the most searched-for, but bread nearly tripled in popularity, making it the second most-searched recipe type.

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Meanwhile, the search term “home workout” had its biggest spike ever, and the apps Headspace and Calm are getting the highest search numbers they’ve ever seen. (Also interesting: Headspace users are concentrated on the West and mid East Coasts, while Calm users are more prevalent in the upper Midwest.)

The home workout spike. (Screenshot)