Stressed? Take these stress test to find out!

I have not personally tried any form of stress test, as I find that you are most likely stressed, just like most people. Unless you are actively practicing stress management or stress relief techniques, chances are high that you are stressed to a certain degree.

There are three common tests that doctors use to diagnose stress.

Go ahead. Try them.

For the first two test, take your blood pressure reading twice—once before and once during the test for comparison. Test 1: Chill out Dip your hand into a bucket of cold water. Hold it in for 1 minute. Measure your blood pressure immediately afterwards. Check the chart for your stress response.

Test 2: Do some math Mentally take the number 100 and subtract 7, then continue to subtract 7s until you get to the number 2. In the middle of your mental calculations, measure your blood pressure. Check the chart for your stress response.

Test 3: Talk to yourself Try to answer this question: Are you working toward your own true goals or someone else's? If you are frequently trying to keep up with other people, you're much more likely to feel the effects of stress.

Here are a few useful online tests if you are keen on exploring:

British Heart Foundation www.bbc.co.uk/
NYU department of psychiatry www.med.nyu.edu/
The Kenneth Peters Center for Recovery www.kenpeterscenter.com/ stress test.htm