Test Your Stress IQ

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  • Question 1/12
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    Which of these might cause stress?

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    Which of these might cause stress?

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    Stress can be caused by both good and bad things in your life. What matters is how your body responds: Something that causes another person a lot of stress may leave you perfectly calm.

  • Question 1/12
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    Stress and anxiety are the same thing.

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    Stress and anxiety are the same thing.

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    Stress is a physical response to something you feel threatened by. Anxiety is an emotion that’s triggered by stress -- you feel apprehensive, nervous, or scared.

  • Question 1/12
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    The “stress response” prepares your body to:

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    The “stress response” prepares your body to:

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    If you run across a lion in the jungle, your stress response sends more oxygen to your brain, tenses your muscles, and makes your heart beat faster. This is supposed to make you more alert and prepared for action: the “fight-or-flight” response. It works great when you happen upon lions. It’s less useful when you’re just stuck in traffic.

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    Stress doesn’t serve any purpose now.

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    Stress doesn’t serve any purpose now.

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    You don’t have to run into a lion to find a use for the stress response. It can show up at the wrong time -- in a conversation with your boss or your teenager -- but it can still be helpful. A little stress-induced anxiety can make your memory and brain work better and may even help make new brain cells. This can help you focus during a crisis at work or if you’re learning a new skill.

  • Question 1/12
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    You have some control over how stress affects you.

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    You have some control over how stress affects you.

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    Your mindset is a huge factor in how your body deals with it. If you see it as a positive and necessary thing, it’s less likely to take a physical or emotional toll on you.

  • Question 1/12
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    Being stressed all the time can help you fight off colds.

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    Being stressed all the time can help you fight off colds.

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    If it goes on too long, it’s called chronic stress. And in addition to making you more likely to have viral infections, like colds or the flu, this also can cause digestive trouble, a short temper, headaches, and problems with sleep.

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    Stress is linked to diabetes.

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    Stress is linked to diabetes.

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    When you’re stressed, your liver puts glucose in your blood to fuel the fight-or-flight response. But this can be released when you don’t need it -- say, in a stressful meeting, for example. If you’re already at risk for high blood sugar and it happens too often, it can lead to diabetes. 

  • Question 1/12
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    Stress caused by daily life can lead to health problems.

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    Stress caused by daily life can lead to health problems.

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    You may not notice them at first, but issues caused by work and family responsibilities can add up. If your body doesn’t get a break, stress can cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression, among other things.

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    Chronic stress can affect your waistline.

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    Chronic stress can affect your waistline.

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    If you eat comfort foods when you’re stressed (ones high in fat and sugar), the higher levels of certain hormones can turn more of it into belly fat. This is the most dangerous kind of fat because it puts you at higher risk for heart disease.

  • Question 1/12
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    Chronic stress affects sexual health in:

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    Chronic stress affects sexual health in:

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    Women may lose interest in sex if they’re overwhelmed with work or financial problems. But it can cause that and more in men. It can lead to erectile dysfunction and affect testosterone -- a hormone linked to sexual interest and performance -- as well as sperm quality and the ability to make them.

  • Question 1/12
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    You can get a headache from stress because it can lead to:

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    You can get a headache from stress because it can lead to:

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    Migraine headaches and tension headaches are thought to be caused by this. When muscle tension affects your whole body, it can cause constant pain and inflammation.

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    People who exercise regularly are more likely to be stressed.

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    People who exercise regularly are more likely to be stressed.

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    Just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise can help boost your mood and limit the negative effects of stress. And you get even more out of it if you go outside in the sunshine.

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    Your Score:

    You correctly answered out of questions.

    Results:

    We want to stress how well you did on this test. Good job!

    Results:

    Don’t be too hard on yourself -- tests can be stressful.  A little more work will get you to the top of the heap.

    Results:

    Don’t stress out -- you may not have gotten a top score, but at least you learned something!  Better luck next time.

Sources | Reviewed by William Blahd, MD on November 02, 2016 Medically Reviewed on November 02, 2016

Reviewed by William Blahd, MD on
November 02, 2016

IMAGE PROVIDED BY:

1) RobertoDavid / Getty Images

 

SOURCES:

National Institutes of Health: “Stress-Defeating Effects of Exercise Traced to Emotional Brain Circuit,” “Stress, Obesity Link Found,” “Fact Sheet on Stress.”

American Psychological Association: “Stress effects on the body.”

Mayo Clinic: Diseases and Conditions: “Low sex drive in women.”

The Journal of Sexual Medicine: “Anxiety and erectile dysfunction: a global approach to ED enhances results and quality of life.”

Anxiety and Depression Association of America: “Exercise for Stress and Anxiety,” “Stress.”

The American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Harvard Health Publications: “Belly fat boosts risk of dying of heart disease.”

Stanford University: “Embracing stress is more important than reducing stress, Stanford psychologist says.”

UC Berkeley: “The Surprising Benefits of Stress,” “Researchers find out why some stress is good for you.”

This tool does not provide medical advice.
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