1
After a tough day at work
and an uncomfortable
meeting, you:
A Spend the evening relaxing, letting go
of a bad day.
B Criticise yourself for not handling the
situations better.
C Ruminate over what went wrong
and replay the negative experiences
on repeat.2
Do you find it difficult to
fall asleep and stay asleep
through the night?
A No, I fall asleep quickly and sleep
soundly.
B Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep
if I have lots going on.
C Yes, I struggle with sleep and often
find myself waking up during the night.3
Is it challenging for you to
make decisions?
A I can easily make decisions when
I need to.
B I struggle to make decisions and don’t
always trust the decision I make is the
right one.
C I am terrible at making decisions,
it makes me anxious and tense.4
Generally speaking, how
much energy do you have?
A I feel energised most of the time.B My energy levels are generally fine
but sometimes lower than I’d like.
C I’m perpetually tired and seriously
lack energy.5
In challenging times, how
do you support yourself?
A I try to keep a healthy perspective on
the situation; I make time and space
to deal with what’s going on.
B I try to keep calm and carry on,
sometimes I put on a brave face and
other times I open up and seek help
from friends or professionals.
C I struggle to manage my emotions
and tend to blame myself. I don’t know
how to escape the overwhelm.6
Can you easily concentrate
on completing your tasks
and day to day duties?
A I can easily concentrate and focus my
attention where it’s needed.
B I sometimes get distracted and I can
be a bit forgetful too.
C I regularly struggle to concentrate,
and I worry I have a poor memory.7
Would your friends and
family say you’re a snappy,
irritable person?
A Not at all, that’s not me!
B I’m only snappy if I am feeling
overwhelmed or time-poor.C I am sometimes irritable with loved
ones, and it happens more often than
I like to admit.8
Do you find it easy to ask
for help?
A Yes, I ask for help all the time.
B I sometimes struggle with tasks for a
while before realising I can ask for help.
C I find it hard to ask for help as I worry it
will be seen as a failing or a weakness.9
What’s your schedule
like right now?
A Flexible – I like lots of free time, you
never know what may pop up!
B Busy, but I’m mostly managing the
demands of the day.
C Unmanageable – I’m taking on too
much and I can’t keep this up.10
Do you recognise when
you’re stressed?
A Yes, I notice I’m taking on too many
demands and I feel worried. That’s
when I know to pull back.
B Yes, my eating habits change, I have
less energy, experience headaches
and tension around my body.
C I never notice until it’s too late – I’m
exhausted, my body aches, I get bad
headaches and feel dizzy, I struggle
to sleep, my stomach is upset, and
I usually get a cold on top of it all!How well do you
deal with stress?
Recognising how we react to stressful situations can help
us to nurture a calmer approach. Take our quiz, then
learn more about managing stress on the following pages
Words: Annika Rosewellness