Test how well you are actually managing your current stress level
Everyone has stress and people pretty much know that they are stressed when they are. Between worrying about paying your bills, enjoying your social life, problems with work, concerns about family members, day to day hassles, and difficult people in your life, there is a lot to be stressed about.
Rather than tell you that you are stressed (to which most people respond, "yes, now tell me something that I do not know."), this measure looks at how you are coping with the stressors in your life. The mere presence of stress does not imply something problematic. The key is how you react to the stress. The results will give you an assessment with how well you are coping. You will receive information on how healthy your coping strategies are.
Please complete all items. Rate each item on a scale of 1-5. Please choose one number and do not write a decimal, such as 3.5. Select the answer that best represents your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors regarding your responses to stress. Choose how true each statement is for you.
| Most days, I have at least a few thoughts that I feel I cannot control about how overwhelmed I feel. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I frequently find myself telling friends and family members how incredibly stressed I feel. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| My common response to a high level of stress is to emotionally or physically shut down. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I know that I need to make some major changes to reduce my overall stress, however, I have not yet done so. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I am sure that other people are much better at coping with difficult situations than I am. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I often find myself dropping one of the many balls that I try to juggle. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| In the past month least one person has told me that I need to learn how to relax. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When I become overwhelmed with responsibilities, I tend to stop doing things for myself, for instance, I stop exercising, preparing healthy meals, or spending time with friends. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I often find myself daydreaming, procrastinating, or doing a mindless activity when I need to take care of something, such as paying a bill. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I frequently overeat or eat unhealthy foods such as fast food when I am feeling stressed out. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I commonly have thoughts like, 'maybe I'm just not capable of dealing with so much.' |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When I feel weighed down, I have a tendency to take it out on others by acting irritable, annoyed, or inpatient. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When feeling a high degree of stress, I find that I drink more than two drinks with caffeine or alcohol per day to either perk me up or make me feel more relaxed. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| It is typical for me to avoid dealing with important activities if they make me feel uncomfortable, nervous, or frustrated. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I do not rely on any supportive people because I am afraid that they will not understand what I'm going through or that they are so busy with their own lives that they will not want to hear what I'm going through. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When I become stressed, I get a short fuse. I either yell at people when I'm driving, am short with salespeople, or argue with colleagues at work. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I know that I need to relax, and sometimes I try to, but I find that I do not know how to unwind. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| It seems that my problem-solving skills are not so good. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| Others have told me that I engage in problematic coping behaviors that do not really help me to cope. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| On a typical day, I have several thoughts such as 'I do not even have an idea where to start with all the things I need to do.' |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I do not have a number of ideas of activities which are soothing, enjoyable, or sociable for me. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| Some people close to me have recently told me that I am not my usual self. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I start to have physical problems when I feel stressed, such as headaches, stomachaches, or muscle tension that I am not able to relieve. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I am not good at prioritizing tasks and I often feel like I need to do everything right away. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When I feel stressed, I tell myself that I should sleep more, but am often not able to. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I avoid talking with people about all that I need to do because I am so behind, I think it would be pointless to get into it. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| My coworkers or friends have said that I lose focus under pressure and do not pay attention well when deadlines are looming. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| When there is too much to do, I let things pile up. The laundry piles up, papers on my desk stack up, or phone calls to return collect on my desk. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| I am sure that I am not someone who handles life's many pressures as well as other people do. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
| Many times I think I am coping well with a stressful life, only to have something happen that shows me I cannot manage the stress. |
| Less True - 1 2 3 4 5 - More True |
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