| SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series:
I've Got Way Too Much Stress!
I need stress relief now...
( 29 pages )
TAKE THE STRESS SELF-ASSESSMENT
Created by two
American psychologists, take a look at this scale of 43 life
events and you will learn how much obvious stress you have
in your life.
Each event has
a corresponding score associated with it, according to the
degree of stress that comes as
the result of that activity.
Below are the
top 10 most stressful life events according to the scale:
- death of
a partner
- divorce
- separation
from partner
- imprisonment
- death
of a close family member
- personal illness
or injury
- marriage
- dismissal
from work
- change of job
- retirement
(Holmes and Rahe (1967) 'The social readjustment rating
scale' Psychosomatic Medicine, 11: 213-18.)
WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF STRESS?
When you suffer
from stress, you experience a variety of symptoms. These
symptoms each fall into four categories:
- behavioral
(the things you do)
- physical (your
body's response)
- emotional (what
you feel)
- psychological
(your personal way of thinking.)
Take
a look below at the various lists of stresses and symptoms and then compare
those with how you are feeling at this moment. Next, look for your score at
the end of this self-test and you will discover your personal stress rating.
Physical
symptoms
- tightness in chest
- chest
pain and/or palpitations
- indigestion
- breathlessness
- nausea
- muscle twitches
- aches
and pains
- headaches
- skin conditions
- recurrence
of previous illnesses/allergies
- constipation/diarrhea
- weight
loss or weight gain
- change in menstrual cycle
for women
- sleep problems/tiredness
|
Emotional
symptoms
- mood swings
- feeling anxious
- feeling
tense
- feelings of anger
- feeling
guilty
- feelings of shame
- having
no enthusiasm
- becoming more cynical
- feeling
out of control
- feeling helpless
- decrease
in confidence/self-esteem
- poor concentration
|
| |
|
Behavioral
symptoms
- drop
in work performance
- more inclined to become
accident-prone
- drinking and smoking
more
- overeating/loss of appetite
- change
in sleeping patterns
- poor time management
- too
busy to relax
- withdrawing from family
and friends
- loss of interest in sex
- poor
judgment
- inability to express
feelings
- over-reacting
|
Psychological
symptoms and negative thoughts
- 'I am a failure'
- 'I should
be able to cope'
- why is everyone getting
at me?'
- 'no one understands'
- 'I
don't know what to do'
- 'I can't cope'
- 'what's
the point?'
- 'I don't seem to be able
to get on top of things'
- 'I keep forgetting where
I put things'
- loss of judgment
|
Stress Self Test
Add up your score
to check how stressed you are.
0 – 4
symptoms: You are unlikely to be stressed.
5 – 8
symptoms: You are experiencing a mild form of stress and are not coping
as well as you can.
You need to make
some changes.
9 – 12
symptoms: You are experiencing a moderate degree of stress. You need
to make major changes
to your life.
13 or
more symptoms: You need to take urgent action to reduce your stress levels.
The higher your score
the more urgent is the need for action.
Stress is impossible to eliminate totally from life. However, if we recognize
what stresses us, together with how our symptoms show themselves, we can
take action to minimize or reduce any negative effects.
CONCLUSION
Relaxation is every bit as much of an attitude as it is anything else. When
you know you are in control of your mind and body, you just instinctively
know what to do about stress.
Taking the time
to be mindful and cultivating a loving, gentle, stress free
spirit means taking the time to relax. Relaxation exercises
can become a part of our daily routine just as sitting down
to a good dinner is. Your body and mind will love you for
it!
> Home > Stress
Relief Main Page
|
