Stress is a normal part of life. Every day, we’re faced with stimuli, called stressors, which can elicit the body’s “fight or flight” response, setting off a cascade of physiological reactions and resulting in emotions ranging from mild to intense. But while occasional stress is natural and even healthy, chronic or acute stress can be harmful.
Please take a few moments to discover your body’s response to situations you perceive as stressful. By honestly assessing how you feel, your healthcare provider can create a stress relief program for your individual needs.
Directions:
Please read each statement and circle the number 0, 1, 2, or 3 that best describes your feelings or reactions throughout the course of the day. Determine the subtotal score for each section, then determine the total scores for sections A-C and C-E. Some questions may appear redundant between sections. There’s a reason for each question. Don’t spend much time on any one question.
0 = Never true 1= Seldom true 2= Sometimes true 3= Often true
When under stress for two weeks or longer, I…
Section A
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1. Get wound up when I get tired and have trouble calming down
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2. Feel driven, appear energetic, but feel “burned out” and exhausted
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3. Feel restless, agitated, anxious, and uneasy
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4. Feel easily overwhelmed by emotion
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5. Feel emotional—cry easily or laugh inappropriately
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6. Experience heart palpitations or a pounding in my chest
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7. Am short of breath
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8. Am constipated
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9. Feel warm, overheated, and dry all over
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10. Get mouth sores or sore tongue
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11. Get hot flashes
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12. Sleep less than seven hours a night
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13. Have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep
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14. Worry about high blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides
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15. Forget to eat and feel little hunger
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Section B
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1. Find myself worrying about things big and small
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2. Feel like I can’t stop worrying, even though I want to
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3. Feel impulsive, pent up, and ready to explode
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4. Get muscle spasms
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5. Feel aggressive, unyielding, or inflexible when pressed for time
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6. See, hear, and smell things that others do not
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7. Stay awake replaying the events of the day or planning for tomorrow
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8. Have upsetting thoughts or images enter my mind again and again
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9. Have a hard time stopping myself from doing things again and again, like checking on things or rearranging objects over and over
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10. Worry a lot about terrible things that could happen if I’m not careful
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Section C
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1. Have muscle and joint pains
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2. Have muscle weakness
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3. Crave salt or salty things
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4. Have multiple points on my body that when touched are tender or painful
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5. Have dark circles under my eyes
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6. Feel a sudden sense of anxiety when I get hungry
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7. Use medications to manage pain
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8. Get dizzy when rising or standing up from a kneeling or sitting position
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9. Have diarrhea or bouts of nausea with or without vomiting for no apparent reason
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10. Have headaches
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Section D
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1. Have trouble organizing my thoughts
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2. Get easily distracted and lose focus
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3. Have difficulty making decisions and mistrust my judgment
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4. Feel depressed and apathetic
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5. Lack the motivation and energy to stay on task and pay attention
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6. Am forgetful
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7. Feel unsettled, restless, and anxious
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8. Wake up tired and unrefreshed
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9. Experience heartburn and indigestion
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10. Catch colds or infections easily
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Section E
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1. Feel tired for no apparent reason
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2. Experience lingering mild fatigue after exertion or physical activity
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3. Find it difficult to concentrate and complete tasks
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4. Feel depressed and apathetic
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5. Feel cold or chilled—hands, feet, or all over—for no apparent reason
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6. Have little or no interest in sex
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7. Sweat spontaneously during the day
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8. Feel puffy and retain fluids
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9. Sleep more than nine hours a night
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10. Have poor muscle tone
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11. Have trouble losing weight
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12. Wake up tired even though I seem to get plenty of sleep
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13. Have no energy and feel physically weak
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14. Am susceptible to colds and the flu
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15. Feel dragged down by multiple symptoms, such as poor digestion and body aches
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Lifestyle and Health Status:
1. Select the level of stress you experience on the scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst:
2. What do you consider to be the major causes of your stress (for example—spouse, family, friends, work, finances, wedding, pregnancy, legal, commute):
3. I eat breakfast times a week.
My typical breakfast is:
4. I take a multiple vitamin/mineral days per week. I take a fish oil supplement days per week.
5. I participate in 30 minutes of physical activity such as walking, aerobics (e.g., running), resistance training (e.g., weights, pilates),
sports (e.g. biking), or yoga:
6. I smoke cigarettes daily.
7. I drink two or more 8 ounce cups of caffeinated coffee or other caffeinated beverages like energy/diet drinks, colas, or black or green teas:
8. I drink two or more ounces of alcoholic beverages:
9. List your current health problems and any over-the-counter or prescription medications that you are now taking:
