How Well Do You Respond to Stress?

Test Your Stress Management Skills

Stress kicks in when we feel overwhelmed and out of control. But guess what? We can conquer stress and build resilience. Psychologist Richard Lazarus defines stress as a feeling when demands exceed our resources. We typically respond in two ways:

1. Fight-or-flight: our immediate instinct to tackle threats.
2. General Adaptation Syndrome: our reaction to prolonged stress.

Let's uncover what sparks these responses and how to manage them both physically and emotionally.

We’ve used research from the Mind Tools Impact and Insights Team to create a 14-question assessment tool, to help you assess how well you manage stress.

Your Self-Assessment

Coming up are 14 questions that ask you about your stress management skills. To answer them, consider your experiences over the past three months.

Be as honest with yourself as you can. There are no right or wrong responses, and you’ll have a chance to review and change your answers before you submit them.

Look at the statements below and choose how much you agree with each by selecting the most appropriate answer.

When you have completed the diagnostic, press “Calculate My Total.”

Your Result

Take a few moments to reflect on your result. Does it surprise you or confirm what you already know? Now give yourself a few minutes to think about what you’d like to get out of this experience.

If your result shows that you’re experiencing a high or moderate level of stress, you can learn to understand whether it’s a short- or long-term issue – and then equip yourself with strategies for combating it.

If you scored well, this resource will help you to make further improvements.

Let's Act

Having reflected on your score, pick one of the following areas to take action on in the next week or two:

• Take time to really notice how you react to stressful situations or stress triggers when they occur. (See questions 12, 13 and 14.)
• Explore to what extent you have felt that everything will be OK, even during a stressful period. (See questions 8, 9, 10, and 11.)
• Assess your level of confidence in your ability to effectively manage stress and take action within your control. (See questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.)

Take Your Learning Further

Discover more about stress responses

Read the article on Managing Stress to learn more about fight-or-flight and General Adaptation Syndrome – two common types of response to stress.

Identify your stress triggers

Daily stress from various sources can impact our productivity and health if left unchecked. Keeping a Stress Diary can help you identify stress triggers, understand your reactions, and determine your optimal levels of pressure for peak performance.

Learn the power of positive thinking

How stressed we feel depends on how much damage we think a situation can cause us, and how far our resources meet the demands of the situation. Actively being aware of our thoughts, and thinking positively can reduce how stressed we feel.

Implement strategies to actively manage stress

We experience stress when we believe that we don't have the time, resources or knowledge to handle a situation. It can be difficult to overcome feelings of stress, but there are a number of strategies you can use to reduce the symptoms, including mindfulness and meditation.