A Simple and Reliable Stress Scale

This scale is a self-report measure of stress.

The questions in this scale ask you about your feelings and thoughts during the last month. In each case, please indicate how often you felt or thought a certain way.

0: Never
1: Almost never 
2: Sometimes
3: Farily ofter
4: Very Often

1. In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?

2. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?

3. In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and “stressed”?

4. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?

5. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?

6. In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do?

7. In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations in your life?

8. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?

9. In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that were outside of your control?

10. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?

 

What is stress?

Stress is knows as a psychological pressure or strain which can influence our bodily response. It serves as a natural reaction to everyday situations, and it can be beneficial when directed towards an introduction of a nocuous agent and an external harmful stimuli. A cascade of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released when an individual is experiencing a stressful event, and the body reacts automatically towards this stressful perception, known as the fight-or-flight response, which aims to keep the individual safe and away from harm.

As pointed out by Hans Selye in 1926, no matter the threat, there are three main stages of the general adaptation syndrome known as the; alarm reaction stage, resistance stage and finally the exhaustion stage which occurs in case of continuous stress.  

Long term stress response can have opposite effect on individuals. Modern life and prolonged repeated arousal of stress responses can lead to anxiety. This could heighten the risk of cardiac diseases and depression.

There has been a focus on ways to relieve stress through meditation and yoga. Cognitive behaviour therapy has also been indicated as a useful skill to defuse stress. As we know the stress response begins in the brain, and this phenomenon is affected by the way of an individual’s perception. Therefore, an alteration and challenge of that perception can enable individuals to react more positively, enhancing and improving their performance.