Alright, here you go:

The following is a stress test. All you do is add up the number of the following choices below. The key is on the bottom.

Headache

Backache

Tight muscles

Neck or shoulder pain

Jaw tension

Muscle cramps

Nervous stomach

Nausea

Insomnia

Fatigue

Cold hands/feet

Pressure in head

High blood pressure

Diarrhea

Skin condition

Allergies

Teeth grinding

Digestive disorders

Stomach pain

Constipation

Hypoglycemia

Appetite change

Colds/flu

Heavy perspiration

Rapid heart beat

Nervous habit

Anxiety

Depression

Confusion

Irrational fears

Compulsive behavior

Forgetfulness

Feeling overwhelmed

Hyperactivity

Mood swings

Loneliness

Relationship problems

Unhappy at work

Difficulty concentrating

Irritability

Restlessness

Boredom

Worrying

Volatile temper

Crying spells

Nightmares

Apathy

Sexual problems

Weight change

Overeating

Use of stimulants

Number of items

Stress level

Moderate

Extreme

So now, what's your stress score?

How do you feel about your stress level?

Did you know, a little bit of stress is actually good for you? But, when is it a problem? Let's take another stress test. This one deals more with your life in general. Take it and we'll talk later. If you want a break read  for more information.

SCORING

Never……………….. No Stress

Rarely………………. Low Stress

Occasionally………...Moderate Stress

Frequently………….. High Stress

Always…………….....Extreme Stress

When you can see your stress written in front of you, you have something concrete to deal with. Watch this.

Say you woke up late this morning and you ripped both socks. You didn’t have time to change them and you left your house in a rush. Every step you made caused you an uncomfortable feeling; a loose-sock-in-your-shoe-feeling. As the day progressed it got worse; your socks slide down into your shoes and you had to take them off and rearrange them multiple times. This situation was getting on your nerves when, fortunately, you were sitting in solitude and happened to take one of my stress tests.

But unfortunately, the stress test did not have “ripped socks" on it anywhere. You went down the list. What caught your attention, however were the other stresses in your life that you tried to forget or didn’t bother to remember: family, work, money, health, and all of a sudden the ripped socks didn’t matter. They weren’t even close to the least stressful topic. 

The ripped socks fell into a category of annoyance, because things of this type…

HAVE AN END IN SIGHT. This will be over!

The importance of the stress test is to quantify the stress in your life, the real stresses we’re talking about, and focus on de-fusing them.

Fortunately, we have access to the best de-stress resources ever. But you have to focus on the real stresses, not the ones made up. The real stresses are not going anywhere anytime too soon. The annoyances will fade away.

Use the stress test as a powerful tool to pinpoint your major stresses and use your time and energy on these. Figure out how to handle “ripped sock" issues and look hard at the real issues that are at stake.

In fact, taking the stress test is your first assignment. Take it truthfully and apply the strategies we have given you and you can literally change your life.