What is Stress?
The word stress comes from the Latin word “stringere” which means “to strain” or “to tighten”. This is exactly what stress is about: in a stressful event our body tenses to allow for a quick response. Stress is normal – it helps us to survive and react to our environment.
However, stress can become unhealthy and dangerous. In nature, our bodies are designed to react to a threat with a quick bodily response. Normally, the threat would be dealt with and our body would return to normal. In our hectic daily life, stress has become the normality so our bodies do not return to relaxation but are constantly tense to react to the multiple stress factors around us. When we do not find time to unwind and our bodies never get to relax, stress becomes dangerous and unhealthy.
Measure your Stress
Use this scale to rate your stress. Take the last two weeks as your time frame and score the following items using the scoring system below:
0 = never 1 = sometimes 2 = often 3 = very often
| Fatigue or tiredness | Feeling helpless or hopeless | ||
| Pounding heart | Excessive drinking | ||
| Rapid pulse | Excessive smoking | ||
| Increased perspiration | Excessive spending | ||
| Rapid breathing | Excessive drug or medication use | ||
| Aching neck or shoulders | Feeling upset | ||
| Lower back pain | Feeling nervous or anxious | ||
| Gritting teeth or clenching jaw | Increased irritability | ||
| Hives or skin rash | Worrisome thoughts | ||
| Headaches | Impatience | ||
| Cold hands or feet | Feelings of depression | ||
| Tightness in chest | Loss of sexual interest | ||
| Nausea | Feeling angry | ||
| Diarrhea or constipation | Sleep difficulty | ||
| Stomach discomfort | Forgetfulness | ||
| Nail biting | Racing or intrusive thoughts | ||
| Twitches or tics | Feeling restless | ||
| Difficulty swallowing or dry mouth | Difficulty concentrating | ||
| Colds or flu | Periods of crying | ||
| Lack of energy | Frequent absences from work | ||
| Overeating | Poor self-confidence |
If you scored:
0 – 19 Your stress level is lower than average
20 – 39 Your stress level is average
40 – 49 Your stress level is slightly higher than average
50 + Your stress level is much higher than average and is of concern
If you are concerned by the outcome of the survey or would like to discuss any other work or personal challenges, please call the ChoiceCare EAP on 080 23 23 247 or chat to the facilitator on site.
This Stress-Symptom Scale is based on the work of Dr Allen Elkin (1999).
Written by LifeAssist
