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Any change in your life can lead to stress. This includes even pleasurable activities, such as vacations or new forms of recreation. You can also be in a stressful situation such as a difficult job or a long-term illness of a spouse. If you think you might be having stress, this assessment may help you find out its effects on you.
You probably know some of the common signs of stress. They include a pounding heart, sweaty palms, and feeling anxious. But you may respond to stress in many other ways too, from feeling irritable to driving recklessly. Knowing how you react to stress is an important step toward managing it.
Everyone responds to stress differently. This assessment will help you learn about your particular stress profile. Listed below are the kinds of physical, mental, and emotional responses people may have to stress—some of which you may not have considered before. Review these lists and think about which reactions apply to you when you’re under stress. Check all the reactions you have in stressful situations.
In each category, check any symptoms you’ve had in the past month. Remember, the reactions you choose may be signs of stress. But stress is only one of the possible causes of these symptoms. Talk with your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about the items you check.
Because everyone responds to stress differently, it's important to recognize your own stress profile. Recognizing when you're under stress is an important step toward learning to manage it. Review the items you checked below. Some or all of these reactions may make up your stress profile.
You have not selected any of the common symptoms of stress from the list. Since you did not check any reactions to stress, stress level is probably low. However, any event has the potential of causing stress. You might want to review the ways to decrease reactions to stress in the 'Minimize Stress' section below. That way, when you do have a stress response, you'll have tools to help you cope with it.
The items you checked may be responses to the stress in your life. The more items you checked, the more likely stress is having an impact on your life. Stress can affect your body, mind, emotions, and behavior. Although a little stress isn't harmful, persistent, long-term stress can raise your risk for illnesses, including obesity, heart disease, peptic ulcers, and asthma. Long-term stress can cause digestive problems and weaken your immune system.
The first step to managing stress is to recognize when you are under stress and find out what triggers it. Look over the symptoms you've checked. Keep these symptoms in mind as you go through each day. If you notice any of these symptoms, ask yourself what may have triggered it.
Keeping a stress log can help you recognize when you are under stress and identify what caused it. For a week, keep track of anything, big or small, that triggers feelings of stress. Note the date and time. Also record your response. What were your stress symptoms? By the end of the week, you’ll know your stressors and how you react to them. Once you understand your stress response, you’ll be able to handle stress better.
The symptoms you checked may be indicators of stress. But stress is only one of the possible causes of these symptoms. Talk with your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about your symptoms. If you keep a stress log or journal, bring that information with you to share with your provider.
You can't eliminate all the stress in your life, but you can reduce it. Here are some ideas on how to do that:
This assessment is not intended to replace the evaluation of a health care professional.