A Stress Test Gives You Health Insight

What Is A Mental Stress Test?

Since the 1980’s, we’ve all been told that excessive mental tension isn’t good for us. We know that keeping ourselves in a prolonged state of nervousness can end up causing serious health problems, including increased risk of heart disease.

However, many of us are so familiar with the feeling of being under pressure that we may not even know if we are damaging our health or not.

That’s why it’s important to have a personal stress test occasionally. If you score is too high you can always begin looking at some stress relief alternatives.

The good news is you can find some free assessments you can complete at home.

Two Different Types of Stress Assessment

Before you start thinking about taking a "stress test", you need to know the phrase is used to refer to two types of assessments. Generally, the type of stress assessment we’re talking about here involves answering some questions about your present condition which can determine if you’re already begin affected negatively by the amount of mental tension in your life. Some of these tests may also test your knowledge about the causes of stress.

However, another type of "stress test" is one performed in a medical facility. This type of examination is used for cardiac patients to check the amount of strain their hearts can take to determine if they are having heart problems. These examinations can be done through physical exertion or by using chemicals. Either way, they are a completely different type of assessment than what we’re talking about here and should be administered by a trained medical professional.

Keep in mind though that not paying attention to your levels of emotional and mental tension could cause you to end up getting a cardiac test. And that’s definitely not something you want to go through.

Potential Causes of Mental Pressure

Mental tension can be caused by many different things. In fact, sometimes a little pressure can be a good thing. Without some mental push, we might never motivate ourselves to work hard or to accomplish the goals we set for ourselves. However, we frequently take those positive tension levels to an extreme.

Part of understanding our own levels of nervousness or constant worry is first coming to understanding the different causes of anxiety.

Basically, stress could be defined as our body’s reaction to change in our environment. The effects of that adaptation pressure may be mild like forgetting to bring money for lunch at work or may be major like going through a divorce. Anything that our body and mind would perceive as change could be a trigger for tension.

In fact, we are also more likely to experience tension at certain points in our life. For example, teenagers going through puberty and women experiencing menopause are likely to have much higher levels of anxiety than people in other age groups.

Measuring Your Stress Level In Numbers

Because life changes can create mental tension, a stress scale was developed and published in the late 1960’s to help people test their own levels of mental tension by quantifying these experiences.

For example, the most worrisome event was considered to be the death of a spouse and was given a full 100 points. Just under that on the scale at 60 points were getting a divorce, going through menopause, going to jail, getting separated, and experiencing the death of a close family member.

By adding up the points for all of the experiences you’ve gone through during a 12 month period, you could determine your level of perceived tension.

Today, however, if you have a mental stress check it is more likely to focus on the consequences of your stress on your health.

Modern Versions of Mental Tension Tests

When you take a mental stress test, you’ll probably need to answer a questionnaire of stress management about your present health and well-being.

For example, you may be asked about whether or not you tend to procrastinate or look to other people to solve your problems for you.

When we feel tense and overwhelmed, we frequently start to look for answers outside of ourselves and then become frustrated when those solutions don’t present themselves.

Other questions might cover your sense of humor. People who tend to not take a little time to laugh everyday have a higher likelihood of feeling blocked and ruled out than those who do. It’s difficult to laugh and worry at the same time. In fact, laughter can be a tremendous natural stress relief method.

If you take a mental stress test, you may also be asked questions about how often you relax during a day, what types of goals you set for yourself, what types of interpersonal relationships you have,etc.

An anger management assessment is also very useful to discover the -often hidden- anger issues.

Conclusion

In short, a mental stress test can help you to shed some light on what your general level of tension is and how needed it is to alleviate yourself from it. It can be a helpful tool.

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