Stress Release Tips

Following is our free Life Stress Profile:

This 20-item questionnaire measures your current stress level and your coping abilities as they exist right now. These tend to change frequently, as your stress level rises or falls, so answer them from the perspective of the past week or two. Answering honestly and thoughtfully will give you the most accurate results. Count the number of “yes” and “no” answers to the following 20 questions, then look at the end of the questionnaire to find out what your scores suggest. This test is not intended to diagnose or indicate the need for treatment for any disease or health condition.

   1. Do you often need a drink or two to calm down from the day?

         Yes          No

   2. Did you have more than two nights in the past week when you had trouble sleeping? (This could mean having trouble getting to sleep, waking up very early and having trouble getting back to sleep, having nightmares, or waking up not feeling rested.)

         Yes          No

   3. Do you have any of the following conditions: frequent migraines or other headaches, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension, heart problems of any sort, eczema, ulcer?

         Yes          No

   4. Are your hands and feet usually cold, even on a warm day?

         Yes          No

   5. Do you frequently fantasize about disappearing from your life, or finding a less stressful life?

         Yes          No

   6. Would you describe yourself as often lonely, or without much emotional support?

         Yes          No

   7. Have you had a serious life transition in the past year? You decide what is serious, but examples include death of a loved one, a major move, divorce or serious relationship breakup, marriage, job loss or new job, health crisis, or major financial difficulties.

         Yes          No

   8. Has it been a while since you laughed out loud?

         Yes          No

   9. Do you often feel panicked, anxious, or worried?

         Yes          No

   10. Would your friends describe you as “stressed out”?

         Yes          No

   11. Do you have more trouble concentrating or remembering things than usual?

         Yes          No

   12. Have you neglected to eat healthfully recently?

         Yes          No

   13. Do you get moderate exercise less than three days a week?

         Yes          No

   14. Do you feel like you have little or no control over the things in your life that upset you?

         Yes          No

   15. Has your interest in sex decreased?

         Yes          No

   16. Do you lose your temper easily, or find yourself easily irritated?

         Yes          No

   17. Are you especially susceptible to colds or other infections?

         Yes          No

   18. Do you often feel “down”, or depressed, about your life?

         Yes          No

   19. Do you have a hard time relaxing?

         Yes          No

   20. Do you often feel fatigued for no good reason?

         Yes          No

Life Stress Profile™ © Lifetime Wellness, Inc.

Although this is not a scientifically validated questionnaire, it can give you an idea of your stress level. It can also educate you about the aspects of stress and the moderators of the stress response.

Count the number of “yes” answers.

If less than 5 “yes” answers, you may either have little stress in your life right now, or you have excellent coping strategies to deal with the stress you are experiencing. Keep up the good work!

If between 5 and 10 “yes” answers, you seem to be experiencing quite a bit of stress in your life, and your coping mechanisms are not working as well as we would hope. Please do whatever you can to reduce the stress, and if that is not possible right now, you can focus on activities that release the stress from your system. You might benefit from coaching to help you to handle your stressful situations more effectively. See our “Stress Release Tips” for suggestions about reducing your stress level.

If over 10 “yes” answers, If over 10 "yes" answers, you might want to seriously consider whether stress could be a significant problem in your life right now. Please consider consulting with a coach, psychotherapist, or health care provider to help you modify your life so that stress does not have such a huge impact on you. See our "Stress Release Tips" for suggestions about reducing your stress level. Remember, this questionnaire is not intended to diagnose or indicate the need for treatment for any disease or health condition. It is for information purposes only.

Here are 10 things you can do to reduce the impact of stress in your life. If you need help to reduce or release stress, please see a coach, psychotherapist, or health provider. Lifetime Wellness, Inc., can help you to make your life more peaceful. 

• Get out of the situation that is causing you the most stress. We have more control over our lives than we often think we do, and nothing is worth ruining your health, which is a frequent result of ignoring chronic stress.
• Eliminate junk food, caffeine, carbonated beverages, and sugar from your diet. These things stress the system. Even though they seem to perk up your energy level for a short time, overall they are poisons, and they take crucial resources from your body to cope with them, leaving you fewer resources to deal with other stressors. Drink alcohol sparingly, preferably no more than 2-3 drinks per week.
• Confide in a friend. Join a group. Go to your church. Social support is a huge moderator of stress. Better yet if your activity encourages you to laugh and enjoy yourself.
• Exercise regularly. This doesn't have to be intense exercise. Walking is great, because it gets you outdoors, where you can enjoy the beauty of nature and change your perspective. Forty-five minutes four or five times a week will help you to release stress from your body.
• Develop a hobby that you can do with your hands. I know this seems impossible if you are already busy and overly stressed, but it can really help. Knitting, building something, gardening, painting – these are all tactile things that can soothe distress and put you into a calmer state of mind.
• Keep a routine -- regular hours, eating at regular times and going to bed at around the same time every night. Routine can be very soothing. Our nervous systems were not designed to be “on” all the time.
• Take a break. Most research suggests that we should have a 10 minute break every 90 minutes in order to allow our systems to reset themselves. Go out to lunch, or take a walk at lunchtime. Go away for the weekend with a friend, or go on a solo retreat. Anything to change your perspective. You might want to download one of our 10-minute “Stress Breaks” to help with this.
• Abdominal breathing is a wonderful way to calm the system. When we are stressed, we tend to hold our breaths or breathe shallowly. Deep breathing for only a few minutes can help us to feel refreshed and considerably calmer.
• Meditation has been proven in numerous research studies to reduce stress. Any type of meditation works. You might want to buy our “Breathing Meditations” CD to combine deep breathing and meditation.
• Regular relaxation teaches the body how to differentiate between being relaxed and being stressed. Many people aren't even aware that they are stressed and tense. When you recognize what triggers your stress response, you have more control over what you choose to do.