We all suffer from stress at one point or another and that is perfectly normal. However the negative effects which stress can cause have been heavily and frequently documented. This post provides you with a quick stress test.
The experience of stress can be very damaging for your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Too much stress in our lives limits our enjoyment of our relationships, brings our mood down, and can make fulfilling our family and work commitments very difficult.
Instead of just soldiering on in automatic pilot mode, it is useful to check in with how you are currently experiencing the world and assess how much stress you experience on a daily basis?
Why not take a “stress test” from an October 2010 publication of “Psychology Today”:
Start by counting all of the items that apply to you
I find myself less eager to go back to work or to resume my chores after a weekend.
I feel less and less patient and/or sympathetic listening to other people’s problems.
I ask more “closed-ended” questions to discourage dialogue with friends and co-workers than “open-ended” ones to encourage it.
I try to get away from people as soon as I can.
My dedication to work, exercise, diet, and friendships is waning.
I am falling further behind in many of the responsibilities in my life.
I am losing my sense of humor.
I find it more and more difficult to see people socially.
I feel tired most of the time.
I don’t seem to have much fun anymore.
I feel trapped.
I know what will make me feel better, but I just can’t push myself to do it and I’ll “Yes, but” any suggestions that people make.
Now, add up the number of items you said yes to, and check your score below:
- 0 to 3: More exhausted than stressed out
- 4 to 6: Beginning to stress out
- 7 to 9: Possibly stressed out
- 10 to 12: Probably stressed out
If you find you scored over 7, it is likely that you are not managing all the stressors in your life as well as you could. Don’t keep suffering, there is help at hand! Why not book an appointment with one of our Clinical Psychologists to discuss the psychological approach to stress and enhance your effectiveness in managing stress.
