How To Improve Mental Health With An Online Stress Test
While everyone may experience some level of stress, too much stress can have negative impacts on your life, potentially leading to mental, emotional, and physical symptoms, as well as long-term health effects. An online stress test may indicate whether you’re experiencing too much stress and should consult a medical or mental health professional to address it. A low-stress way to seek professional help may be to connect with a licensed mental health professional through an online therapy platform, where you can attend sessions from the comfort of your home at a time that fits your schedule.
What is stress?
Stress can be defined as the way your body is programmed to handle a threat. In our primitive days, stress generally produced the fight or flight mechanism whenever there was a need to get food, fight against a warring tribe, or address a threat.
Your nervous system typically handles a threat by releasing adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. These can prepare your body for an emergency. You may have a faster heartbeat, higher blood pressure, shallow breathing, heightened senses, and other physical changes that can get your body moving and speed up your reaction time and focus.
Can some stress be good for you?
Stress can be a natural response to anything threatening around you. It's generally designed to motivate you to stop whatever it is that's bothering you. Small amounts of stress can help you perform better and give you a reason to do well in life.
Stress may have helped our ancestors get the extra boost they needed to defeat a wild animal. Stress can help you hit the brakes and miss a car crash. It may keep you motivated at work, help you perform tasks better, and keep you focused when it's crunch time.
Sometimes, stress may not be aligned with the modern world. With all of life's demands, you can find yourself stressed all the time, and this can affect your performance and your body, potentially reducing your chances to succeed. What may have been designed as something to help can end up hurting you.
When stress can be a problem
Human emotions can be considered relatively new. In general, we used to be creatures that simply needed to survive, and stress would come as a response to physical threats to our lives. As we evolved, our problems became more about emotions and stresses related to less physically threatening problems, such as finances.
The problem may be that our nervous system didn't evolve to separate the two. It usually can't tell the difference between relationship problems and a mountain lion that’s about to pounce on you. Your unpaid cell phone bill can evoke the same emotions as a warring tribe coming to take your cave. Your boss threatening to fire you can give the same response as starving for food in the caveman days.
All these stresses can cause your stress hormones to increase and become harder to shut down. Constantly stressed may not be a state your body was designed to be in, and it can affect your body in different ways, both physically and mentally.
What can cause stress?
As you can imagine, negative threats can cause you stress, but so can positive experiences. If you're moving someplace better, you may be stressed about the move. If you're promoted, you may stress over performing well. It can be different for everyone. Some may handle stress well, while others may stress over any event. Stress can also be internal in terms of stress you may be putting on yourself.
Potential causes of stress
Again, the causes of stress can be different for everyone. That said, some common causes include:
Life changes
School or work responsibilities
Relationships
Finances
A busy schedule or endless to-do list
A pessimistic outlook
Fear of the unknown
Perfectionism
Symptoms of stress
You probably have a general idea of what being stressed is like, but some symptoms may sound ordinary unless you're aware of them. Stress can cause both psychological and physical symptoms.
Difficulty concentrating, recalling information, or making judgments
Constantly worrying or feeling overwhelmed
Showing signs of anxiety, anger, or depression
Experiencing racing thoughts
Withdrawing or isolating oneself
Experiencing physical symptoms like pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, low libido, dizziness, etc.
Other possible manifestations of stress
Additional stress symptoms may manifest through overeating or undereating, oversleeping or experiencing insomnia, or developing unhealthy habits. Procrastinating, using substances to "numb out" and nail-biting are examples of unhealthy habits a person may develop to cope with stress.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
Long-term effects of stress on physical and mental health
If you are overstressed, it can lead to health problems down the road, potentially including the following:
Depression and anxiety: Anxiety often goes together with stress. If you're worried about something, you can be anxious, too. Stress can create distress, potentially leading to depression.
Aches and pains: Your body may respond by making your head hurt or causing pain somewhere else.
Insomnia: You may spend all night worrying about your problems, making it harder to sleep. In turn, the lack of sleep can lead to a decrease in effective performance, escalating your problems.
Immune system problems: Your immunity may lower, making it easier to get sick.
Digestive troubles: Food may not sit well with you.
Skin conditions: You may experience acne, eczema, or accelerated signs of aging.
Heart attack and stroke: Since stress can lead to a faster heart rate, it may increase the risk of these health issues.
Weight changes: You may overeat due to stress, and thus gain weight, or you may undereat and lose weight.
Reproductive challenges: If you're pregnant, too much stress can be hard on you and your baby.
Cognitive difficulties: You may find it harder to think straight or remember things.
Online stress test: how stress testing can help
It's sometimes hard to tell if the stress you're experiencing is natural or too much. An online stress test can help you figure out if you're overstressed. It can be a good way to see if you should visit a doctor regarding your stress levels.
What is involved in an online stress test?
If you search for an online stress test, you'll likely find dozens. In general, they will ask you a question, and you'll respond with how much it applies to you. The selections will usually be on a spectrum, with answers like, "Not at all,” “Sometimes,” “A lot of the time,” and “All the time." Most tests should take about 15 minutes before providing you with the result.
Using online stress tests in therapy
Online stress tests can mainly function as a springboard. If you get the results and see that you may be overstressed, it can be helpful to then see a doctor or mental health professional for support. Even if your results don’t indicate that you’re too stressed but the level of stress you’re experiencing is concerning to you, it can be beneficial to seek professional help.
How to reduce stress
You may never eliminate stress completely, but it can be possible to reduce it to healthy levels and/or to manage it effectively. Some common techniques for managing stress include:
Exercising regularly
Staying hydrated
Staying socially connected to a support network
Getting enough sleep
Setting healthy boundaries
Practicing meditation
Learn to manage and cope with stress
Talk to a therapist to improve mental health
Coping with stress can also involve working with a licensed mental health care provider. A therapist can help you develop coping mechanisms to reduce stress and improve your mental health. This process may involve you creating your own system to manage stress.
Manage your stress healthily
In general, the goal is usually to learn to manage your stress in a healthy, effective manner. You might aim to reduce your stress until it reaches the point where it helps motivate you without wearing you down.
Benefits of online therapy
If you’re ready to speak with a therapist, you have options for connecting with a provider. With online therapy, you generally won't have the additional stress of having to get to a therapist’s office; you can sign on anywhere you have an internet connection. Online therapy can be affordable too, usually costing less than in-person therapy, which may relieve financial stress.
Effectiveness of online therapy
Online therapy can be effective in addressing high stress levels and related challenges. For example, one study on the topic reports that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) was “effective in reducing stress-related symptoms” in participants.
Takeaway
Stress can be a normal and expected part of life, but excessive stress can come with a variety of symptoms and long-term effects that can impact you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It can be helpful to take an online stress test to determine whether your stress levels may be too high. If they are, or if you believe that stress is causing harm to your life, then it can be vital to reach out to a doctor or therapist. Online therapy can be a convenient and easy way to seek professional guidance.
How can I check my stress level?
You are likely familiar with what it feels like to be stressed, but because everyone experiences stress occasionally, it can be difficult to assess your stress levels. If you want to understand the extent of your stress, it can be helpful to identify the mental, emotional, or physical symptoms you’re experiencing.
Mental symptoms
- Trouble remembering things
- Poor concentration
- Inability to make judgments
- Always looking at the negative
- Racing thoughts
- Constant worry
Emotional symptoms
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Irritability/anger
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Loneliness and isolation
Physical symptoms
- Pain
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Difficulty passing stools
- Diarrhea
- Rapid heart rate
- Low libido
- Autoimmune diseases
Stress can also lead to poor eating habits, sleep disruptions, and unhealthy lifestyle choices. If you’re having a difficult time determining if the stress you’re experiencing is too much, an online stress test can help you figure out if you’re overstressed and whether it may be beneficial to speak with a mental health professional regarding your stress levels as a next step.
What is an online stress test?
Taking a stress test online has become a popular option to measure stress levels. An online stress test aims to assign your stress level a score by asking you a variety of multiple-choice questions. Though individual tests may use different scoring systems, the fundamental idea is the same.
Dozens of different test options are available online, prompting many people to take multiple versions of this type of assessment. For example, there are free tests available through Greater Good Magazine and Mental Health America, to name a few.
If you search for an online stress test, you'll likely find dozens. In general, they will ask you a question, and you'll respond with how much it applies to you. The selections will usually be on a spectrum, with answers like, "Not at all, sometimes, a lot of the time, and all the time." Most tests should take about 15 minutes to complete before providing you with the result.
Though these tests may provide you with a useful sense of your stress level, they should not replace seeking help from a qualified health professional. The tests might simply give you additional measures to consider when you think you are experiencing unhealthy levels of stress.
What are the signs you need a stress test?
There are no specific signs that indicate you “need” a stress test. Some people may feel like they are experiencing an overabundance of stress but aren’t sure how to interpret their feelings and symptoms. Perhaps their jaw and mouth hurt from clenching, or they feel regularly nervous, or they feel like certain situations are spiraling out of their control. Taking a stress test is a popular option to assess stress levels if you feel like you need some clarity.
How can they tell if their feelings are normal or if they should make changes?
Stress can be defined as the way your body is programmed to handle a threat. When presented with a new or unusual situation, the body instigates the fight-or-flight response to prepare you to address what it perceives as danger. In this sense, stress is a normal response that serves a positive function to keep us safe. You may have a faster heartbeat, higher blood pressure, shallow breathing, heightened senses, and other physical changes that can get your body moving and speed up your reaction time and focus.
Though stress is a normal response, it is possible for the body to remain in a heightened and prolonged state of stress that can begin to have negative effects on physical and mental health. If you are overstressed, it can lead to adverse effects, including:
- Depression and anxiety
- Aches and pains
- Insomnia
- Immune system problems
- Digestive troubles
- Skin conditions like acne, eczema, or accelerated signs of aging
- Heart attack and stroke
- Weight changes
- Reproductive challenges
- Cognitive difficulties
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it may be time to make some changes. Speaking with a licensed mental health professional can be a good first step to managing your stress more effectively.
How much stress level is normal?
Not all stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help you perform under pressure, motivate you to succeed, and help you overcome a challenge. Normal stress is typically characterized as short-term i.e. acute stress. This is a natural response of the body and humans are meant to experience this type of stress. Acute stress occurs in bursts, such as when you need to run towards an airport gate because your plane is about to depart. In that moment, your heart rate, muscle tension, and blood pressure may increase significantly. We tend to recover from acute stress quickly.
When stressors are constant, and stress becomes persistent, acute stress can become chronic stress. Chronic stress is caused by an excessive amount of pressure from various life stressors. Overexposure to this type of negative stress can take a toll on the body and may increase risk of mental and physical health conditions.
What are the 5 stages of stress?
- Alarm: This stage occurs immediately after a circumstance has triggered an acute stress response and your body experiences a fight-or-flight response. You may feel your heart rate and blood pressure increase and encounter symptoms such as dilated pupils, dry mouth, sweating, and chills.
- Resistance: At this point, your body begins to release hormones to try to calm the body. To move through this stage, you may benefit from stress-mitigation strategies such as recognizing the source of your stress and coming up with a plan to cope with how you’re feeling.
- Coping: This is the most important stage of stress that helps you move toward recovery. This could happen on its own, for example if a stressful project ends or a family issue resolves itself. Even if the situation hasn’t been resolved, you can implement strategies to begin the recovery process such as exercising, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Adaptation: If you find yourself in a stressful circumstance that you are powerless to change, this is the stage when you can act to mitigate long-term damage and avoid adapting to the stress. This may include checking in with yourself to honestly assess the degree of your stress, being kind to yourself, and using tools like mindfulness and therapy to implement positive thinking patterns.
- Burnout: If you are unable to remove yourself from a stressful situation because you don’t know how or you’ve adapted to it, you could be at risk of experiencing burnout. Signs of this final stage of stress include extreme exhaustion, negativity, cynicism, and catastrophic thoughts. If you reach this stage, you don’t have to feel like there’s no way out. There are still strategies you can implement to manage your stress.
- Previous Article
- Next Article