Quiz: How Stressed Are You?
Everyone is under one form of stress or another, and a certain amount of stress can be healthy and keep us productive. However, extreme stress can accumulate and start to negatively impact our health, leading to adrenal burnout. Adrenal burnout is all too common in our society. Some of the symptoms include: fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, irritability, and mood swings. If you suffer from any of these conditions, take the following questionnaire to identify your personal stress level.
Next to each question assign a number between 0 and 5. Here’s an example:
0. NOT TRUE
3. SOMEWHAT TRUE
5. VERY TRUE
1. I experience problems falling asleep.
2. I experience problems staying asleep.
3. I frequently experience a second wind (high energy) late at night.
4. I have energy highs and lows throughout the day.
5. I feel tired all the time.
6. I need caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, etc.) to get going in the morning.
7. I usually go to bed after 10 pm.
8. I frequently get fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night.
9. I am easily fatigued.
10. Things I used to enjoy seem like a chore lately.
11. My sex drive is lower than it used to be.
12. I suffer from depression, or have recently been experiencing feelings of depression such as sadness or loss of motivation.
13. If I skip meals I feel low energy or foggy and disoriented.
14. My ability to handle stress has decreased.
15. I find that I am easily irritated or upset.
16. I have had one or more stressful major life events (i.e.: divorce, death of a loved one, job loss, new baby, new job).
17. I tend to overwork with little time for play or relaxation for extended periods of time.
18. I crave sweets.
19. I frequently skip meals or eat sporadically.
20. I am experiencing increased physical complaints such as muscle aches, headaches, or more frequent illnesses.
Scoring Your Adrenal Stress Profile
It is important to note that this is not a diagnostic test and should not be used to diagnose any conditions. It is simply a tool to help assess your likely level of adrenal burnout.
0-29: You’re in good health
30-39: You are under some stress. Consider adding some exercise into your daily routine, scheduling some well deserved ‘me time’ or trying yoga or meditation.
40-49: You are likely to be a candidate for adrenal burnout. Consider looking at your nutrition or talking to your Naturopath about adding some condensed nutrients or supplements into your diet.
50-59: You may now be in adrenal burnout. Are you starting to feel in overwhelm too often? Feeling emotional? Turning too often to stimulants such as Alcohol, caffeine or sugar to keep you going? Experiencing unexplained weight gain? It’s important at this stage to help you find your way back to wellness. Speak to your registered Naturopath or trusted healthcare professional.
60+: You may now be in severe adrenal burnout: It is important that you take immediate steps to correct this condition to prevent further adverse effects on your health. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to us.
Take the next step. Contact us by emailing: health@myremedy.co.nz
