Last Updated on April 1, 2024 by Francis

Stress level calculator for identifying potential stressors and managing stress

Stress Level Calculator

Enter your stress levels for each category to identify potential stressors and manage stress:

In this table, the “Stress Level” column lists the different ranges of stress levels, from 0 to 50. The “Description” column provides a brief description of the level of stress associated with each range, ranging from no stress or very little stress to very high stress.

This type of table is often used to help individuals identify their stress levels and understand the associated effects on their physical and emotional well-being.

stress level table that includes stress categories:

In this table, the “Stress Category” column lists the different categories of stress, such as workload, family, health, relationships, and finance. The “Stress Level” column displays the range of stress levels for each category, ranging from 0 to 50. The “Description” column provides a brief description of the level of stress associated with each range, ranging from no stress or very little stress to very high stress.

This type of table is often used to help individuals understand their stress levels and the associated effects on their physical and emotional well-being for different categories of stress.

How to Measure Stress Levels

How to measure stress levels

When it comes to measuring your stress, there are a few options: self-report questionnaires, skin conductance response scales and wearable devices that track stress too. However, determining which one is the best depends on your needs and the type of stress you’re trying to measure.

Self-report questionnaires

The most common form of stress measurement is a questionnaire, which is based on the idea that people tend to self-report their level of perceived stress scale themselves. Questionnaires such as the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) are easy to administer and provide information about your overall stress levels over time.

Skin conductance response scales

Another method of assessing stress is by using skin conductance response (SCR) scales, which are simple and inexpensive to use. But these scales can’t objectively differentiate whether a person’s skin is responding to stress, nervousness or happiness.

SCR scales are also prone to external factors that can affect the readings, such as weather conditions or alcohol consumption.

Wearable devices

A few of the most popular wearables for stress monitoring include Fitbit’s latest technology, which uses sweat data from a built-in EDA sensor to determine your level of stress. The device will then vibrate if you reach a high stress level, and it will send you a reminder to do something relaxing. Garmin’s watches, on the other hand, track HRV and show you if your work related stress levels are low or high throughout the day. The watch will vibrate when it detects high work related stress levels and send you a reminder to do something relaxing, such as a breathing exercise.

Timescale of the Stressor

While multiple stressor studies are becoming more common and a range of new statistical approaches have emerged to assess the combined effects of multiple stressors, few have taken into account the temporal scale at which the stressors play out. This is a crucial consideration as impacts can be lagged or manifest long after the actual stressor has disappeared because of dispersal limitations or species interactions.

To increase our mechanistic understanding of how multiple stressors interact at different levels of biological organisation, further studies are needed to consider how timescales affect the synchronicity and intensity of introduced stressors (Gunderson et al., 2016, 2021; Jackson et al., 2021). This is important because fluctuations in stressor intensity and timing can influence the capacity of organisms to physiologically compensate for an introduced stressor.

A clear example of this relationship can be seen in the following figure, where an alga (green) and a fish species (blue) of contrasting generation times experience similar levels of stressors but in different proportions: the alga experiences only one stressor (nutrient pollution in gray) and warming, while the fish species experiences two further stressors (sedimentation from bank erosion in yellow and a chemical spill in green). The reduced generation time of the fish species as a result of warming, a’master stressor’, allows the individual to withstand the effects of all other stressors, whereas the alga experiences only one of these.

A unifying research framework for multiple stressor ecology is necessary to improve the predictive capacity of our current methods. Three common goals should be pursued: increased ecological complexity, increased temporal scale and realism, with the overarching goal of improving predictive power.

Why Does Stress Affect Me Physically?

When you experience a stressful event, your body triggers a “fight or flight” response that prepares your muscles and heart to react quickly. This response is helpful for situations that are dangerous, like getting in a car accident or fighting with your partner, and can help you survive these traumatic events.

But long-term (chronic) stress is a much different story. When your stress response is constantly triggered, it can lead to health problems such as stomach ulcers, high blood pressure and even heart disease.

Why does chronic stress affect my heart?

During the stress response, your heart beats faster and pumps harder to distribute oxygen-rich blood to your muscles. This is a good thing for you when you’re in danger, but chronic stress over time can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Why does stress affect my breathing?

When your heart and breathing are affected by stress, it can make it harder to breathe, especially if you already have respiratory conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Your heart also pumps more blood when you’re stressed, which can raise your blood pressure.

Why does stress affect my immune system?

When stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released by your body, they can affect the function of your immune system. This means your immune system may respond less well to your body’s normal fight or flight signals and you could become more susceptible to colds and flu, which can cause symptoms such as fever, sore throat, chills, swollen lymph glands, and coughing.

Dealing With Stress and Stressful Situations

Taking care of yourself is always the first step in handling stress and stressful situations. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and practicing relaxation techniques.

When you feel overwhelmed or have a problem that is causing you a lot of stress, it is important to talk to someone who can help you solve the issue. This could be a friend, family member, or counselor.

If your stress is affecting your physical and mental health, seek medical attention from a doctor. They may be able to prescribe medication or refer you to a therapist.

How you handle stressful situations can be a big factor in how you succeed at your job and how you interact with others. It is critical to know how you cope in situations that are stressful so that you can do your best work when needed.

Dealing with Stress and Stressful Situations

You may have heard the phrase “I can’t change the situation, but I can change my reaction to it.” It is important to look at stressful situations in a different way. For instance, if you are driving during rush hour and get upset, take the time to breathe and relax.

Practice Gratitude

When you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, it’s important to remember all the good things in your life. Taking the time to appreciate your friends, family, and the little things that you have can be a great way to keep things in perspective.

Refrain from Bad Coping Techniques

Avoid behaviors that make you feel better but will actually cause more stress, like drinking alcohol or smoking. These can lead to health problems and can worsen the situation you’re in.

What Happens to the Body During Stress?

The human body is designed to react to stress in ways that are meant to keep us alert, motivated and ready to deal with any threat. In some cases, stress can be positive, as it allows our natural flight or fight defenses to kick in and help us adapt to new situations.

In short bursts, stress can be beneficial, such as helping us to meet deadlines or avoid danger. But if stress continues for long periods, it can cause many health problems.

Among them are heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and depression. Chronic stress also can reduce our immune function and cause a variety of health issues.

What does stress do to your sleep?

When you experience stress, your body releases hormones that make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep. These hormones, called cortisol and adrenalin (epinephrine), cause the heart to beat faster, increase blood pressure and oxygen levels in the body, change digestive processes and raise glucose levels in the bloodstream.

How does stress affect your eating habits?

During times of high stress, your body may not be able to focus on healthy eating choices. You may eat more quickly, consume less food, or skip meals entirely.

What are the signs of stress overload?

Symptoms of stress overload include feeling overwhelmed and out of control. They can be physical, such as muscle aches and tension, or emotional, like difficulty dealing with family members or schoolwork.

Measuring Stressor Exposures Versus Stress Responses

The impact of ‘chronic’ (days-to-months) environmental stressors has been extensively explored in wild animals and human populations, but the biological mechanisms that underlie a ‘normal’ short-term stress response have not been fully understood. This is a major concern when it comes to understanding the impact of stressors on wild populations for conservation purposes.

Measuring perceived stress intensity is another approach that can be used to evaluate ’emergent’ (short-term) responses and is typically conducted through self-report questionnaires. However, these are generally time-consuming and require expertise in data processing. In this article, we present a novel instrument named SIFOR that can be administered quickly and easily to assess how stress emerges and dissipates from participants’ experience.

SIFOR is a visual analog scale that measures four aspects of perceived stress: Intensity, Frequency, Speed of Onset of Stress and Recovery from Stress. These aspects of perceived stress were compared among six crewmembers who participated in an 8-month simulation of a Mars mission.

We found that the perception of how quickly stress emerges is correlated with the perceived intensity of stress. The results indicate that stress is perceived to be most intense when it appears suddenly, then lingers on, slowly dissipating from the participant’s experience.

In addition to perception, biomarkers are also widely used to assess physiological alterations caused by stressors. These include changes in white blood cell numbers (e.g., Cort) and in various biochemical markers of inflammation and neurotransmitters such as catecholamines (e.g., BDNF, IL-6). Digital biomarkers such as electrodermal activity can be used to record physiological fluctuations in the skin and can be a valuable measure of the stress response.

How Can I Manage My Stress?

Stress is a normal part of life, but it can be overwhelming and cause problems. The good news is that there are things you can do to avoid stress and to manage stress keep your stress in check.

The first thing to do is identify the source of your stress. It could be your job, your family or money issues. The more you know about what is causing your stress, the better you will be able to deal with it.

If you find that you are unable to get through a stressful situation on your own, talk to someone you trust about how you feel. A trusted friend or a counsellor can help you to understand your feelings and make sense of them in a positive way.

Keeping a stress journal can also help you to pinpoint the sources of your various stress triggers and how you react to them. It can be difficult to recognise the various stress triggers yourself, but it is worth trying.

What Makes Us Stressed?

Stress is a normal part of life, and it’s important to understand what causes stress so you can learn how to manage it effectively. When we are under stress, our body releases chemicals that make us feel tense, increase our heart rate and blood pressure, and send oxygen-rich blood to the muscles that need it most during a “fight or flight” response.

We all experience stress, whether it’s the physical sensation of a hot bath or the emotional strain of watching the news or worrying about a loved one who has passed away. The good news is that most stress can be easily controlled.

Sources of Stress

The main sources of stress are situations and circumstances that can’t be changed, such as a busy work schedule or a rocky relationship. More serious events, such as divorce, job loss, death in the family or a health crisis, can also cause stress.

How to Measure Psychological Stress in Health Research

Over the years, there has been a tremendous amount of media coverage and scientific interest in the impact of psychological stress on physical and mental health. This is a good thing, as the evidence linking stress to a wide range of disease risk is growing rapidly.

Best Practices for Stress Measurement

Stress is a complex, multidimensional construct that comprises exposures to stressful events, perceptions of stress, and physiological reactions to stressors. A nuanced understanding of the links between stress and health requires assessment of each of these components in both acute and chronic scenarios.

Best Practices for Stress Measurement

A variety of methods can be used to assess stress exposures and responses, including biomarkers (e.g., blood samples, saliva), digital biomarkers, and self-report questionnaires. It is important to select the method that is most relevant to the research question and sample.

Skin conductance response scales are commonly used to measure acute stress responses. However, they can be inaccurate, especially in people with a wide range of conditions and life circumstances.

Self-report measures provide a more detailed measure of the psychological experience of acute stressors. Although these measures may have limited reliability and are prone to bias, they can help clinicians and researchers better understand how individuals perceive and react to acute stressors.

Research on Acute Stress Reactivity and Physical Health

There is strong evidence that psychological stress has a substantial impact on the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Exaggerated mental stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity predicts future increased cardiovascular disease risk, adiposity, obesity, depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms, illness frequency, musculoskeletal pain and regulatory T-Cell percentage. Blunted stress reactivity, however, has been associated with decreased future cardiovascular disease risk, and other non-cardiovascular outcomes such as adiposity and obesity, depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms and illness frequency.

Acute Stress Reactivity in Children

There are various types of stress that can activate a variety of body systems, including the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis (HPA). Positive stress response is an essential part of healthy development. It is characterized by brief increases in heart rate slow breathing, and mild elevations of hormone levels that are typically related to a positive life event such as the first day with a new caregiver, receiving an injection or immunization, or experiencing a frightening injury.

Chronic PA and Acute Stress Reactivity in Children

A randomized controlled study found that acute moderate physical activity (PA) decreases BP and HR reactivity to stress and reduces the increase in cortisol after a stress task in pre-pubertal schoolchildren who were healthy weighted or overweight/obese. Nevertheless, it is not yet known whether similar effects are seen in children with obesity.

To address this knowledge gap, we performed a pilot study with a group of pre-pubertal schoolchildren in which they were randomly assigned to either a stress induction (SI) arm or a control arm. In both arms, a standardized test of mental stress (TSST) was administered. In addition, blood pressure and heart rate were measured at the beginning of each study session.

Research on Early Life Stress and Physical Health

Children who experience early life adversity, including abuse, neglect, and family economic hardship, have increased risks for later mental and physical health problems. These adverse experiences have been linked to a variety of effects on brain development and physiology, including changes in stress response systems.

Prolonged activation of the stress response systems, especially during sensitive periods of development in absence of caring, stable relationships with adults, can disrupt brain architecture and organ function and increase the risk for disease throughout a person’s lifetime. These changes occur even when the adverse circumstances are temporary and easily reversible, such as the first day with a new caregiver or receiving an immunization.

The effects of early life adversity on neuronal and neurogenic factors in bone metabolism were studied using the MSUS paradigm (unpredictable maternal separation and stress during early life) in mice, which mimics aspects of chronic childhood maltreatment. This paradigm induced a long-lasting and severe impact on the physiology and behavior of mice and their descendants via epigenetic mechanisms.

Moreover, a decrease in noradrenergic, cholinergic and sensory neuronal factors was found in MSUS mice after stress exposure. These results are similar to those of a human sample: patients with severe depression, who experienced stress early in life, showed a catabolic shift in bone metabolic parameters during a depressive episode. However, a similar pattern was not observed for the group of people who experienced childhood neglect and whose depressive symptoms were not related to any stress in early life. These findings indicate that different types of early stress lead to different response patterns concerning bone metabolic parameters, thereby requiring a personalized approach for prevention of bone pathologies in the future.

Is There an Objective Way to Measure Stress?

Stress is a recognized health risk factor and has been linked to numerous physical, mental, and behavioral conditions. However, there are several limitations associated with the assessment of stress.

Subjective methods of measuring stress typically depend on self-reports and have been shown to be prone to method biases. Nevertheless, these assessments may provide important information about the duration and severity of the psychological stress response to stressors as well as the physiological responses to stressors.

Chemical and digital biomarkers are also increasingly used to evaluate the effects of stress on the body. One such biomarker is electrodermal activity (EDA), which is a continuous measure of fluctuations in the electrical characteristics of the skin. This measure of arousal in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a more-objective way to assess the physiological impact of stress on not only the person but body.

Heart rate variability analysis is another measure of the body’s stress response. HRV analysis records the change in time between heartbeats to identify changes in your heart’s rhythm over a specific period of time.

The Psychophysiological Model of Stress

A common working definition of stress is based on Koolhaas and colleagues’ psychophysiological model, which defines stress as the perceived or anticipated inability to successfully cope with situations that are not predictable or controllable. This model has received widespread adoption across a variety of scientific fields as it distinguishes between the cause and effect of stress and highlights the coordination of stress-related physiological and psychological processes.

Life Stage During Stressor Exposure

During a stressor, the body goes through a three-stage process: alarm reaction, resistance, and exhaustion. In the alarm reaction phase, stress hormones are released to increase blood pressure and heart rate, which may make a person feel anxious or tense.

After the alarm reaction phase, if the stressful situation is over, the body returns to a normal state of being. However, if the stressor continues, the body continues to be in a state of alert, and stress hormones are produced. This is known as the resistance stage of GAS.

The resistance stage reducing stress is governed by the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This part of the ANS decreases stress hormone production and attempts to return the body to a state of rest.

Tolerable stress is generally short-lived and can usually be overcome. Examples of tolerable stress include family disruptions, accidents or the death of family member or a loved one.

In contrast, toxic stress is a long-lasting type of stress that is difficult to overcome. This type of stress may be caused by adverse experiences, such as exposure to toxins or nutritional restriction, and can cause damage to the body’s normal physical response systems.

These types of stress can lead to a wide range of negative effects on health, including both poorer mental health and physical well-being across the lifespan. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms linking early life stress with adverse outcomes across the lifespan is important to advancing the prevention and treatment of these chronic health conditions.

5 Stress Management Apps to Help You Manage Your Feelings

Whether it’s work, family, or school that is stressing you out, it’s important to find ways to both manage stress and your feelings. Professional help (think of talk therapy or medications) is often a great option, but there are also a number of helpful stress management apps out there that can provide quick and effective stress relief and track stress too.

Breathing and Meditation Apps

Mindful breathing is one of the most important ways to reduce anxiety, less stress resilience improve your immunity, and boost your energy levels. However, it can be difficult to practice and keep up with, which is why apps like Breathe2Relax are so useful.

Sanvello uses clinically-sound techniques based on cognitive behavioral therapy to teach users how to de-stress. It includes breathing exercises, a mood tracker, and other features.

Pay It Forward

Performing simple acts of kindness helps to lower stress and increase happiness. This free app is based on this idea and encourages you to do small things for others every day, such as paying for someone’s coffee or helping a friend with an urgent project.

Happify

Research has shown that having a happy mood can reduce stress and increase stress resilience too, so this app focuses on positive-thinking activities to help you develop your own self-regulation. It encourages you to think positive, eat healthy, sleep well, and move more.

RELEXA

The world’s first dynamic stress- and sleep-management app, RELEXA uses dynamic health data to monitor and provide instant biofeedback about physiological factors like heart rate variability, energy status, and recovery rate. It then recommends optimal video meditations that are customized to your level of stress and needs.

The Types of Stress Response

Stress is the body’s response to a perceived threat or danger. The reaction starts in the brain and moves through the nervous system.

When a person is threatened, their eyes and ears send signals to the amygdala (an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing). The amygdala interprets these warning signs and sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus.

This alert system triggers the release of stress hormones, which increase blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. This is called the fight or flight response and helps the body react quickly and efficiently when a threat arises.

The stress response is a normal part of human development. It’s important to learn how to manage your stress, though, because the effects of stress can be harmful.

Chronic stress, which is the ongoing release of stress hormones over a period of time, can cause long-term health problems, including sleeplessness, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Moreover, it can lead to the growth and spread of cancer cells in your body.

Types of stress

People often can feel overwhelmed or stressed about different things in their lives. For example, some stress is related to financial concerns and others are related to family and relationship issues. Additionally, some people experience stress from life events such as illness or death of a loved one. Other people experience stress from job-related problems such as performance pressure or the inability to meet deadlines. Other types of stress are stress related due to mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression.

Summary of Steps for Selecting Stress Measures

A key part of identifying and selecting appropriate stress measures is determining what type or types of stress are most relevant to your research question and sample. Often, studies will assess multiple types of stress responses simultaneously and researchers must choose which type(s) to capture based on the uniqueness of their study population, the specific research question being addressed, and the hypothesized mechanisms linking the type of stress response to the outcome of interest.

Stressors and Stress Responses

Various types of psychological stress can be measured using self-report questionnaires across life domains (e.g., major life events, traumatic experiences, early life stress exposure, current chronic or perceived stress). The selection of which stressors to measure depends on the uniqueness of the sample, the type of research question being addressed, and the hypothesized factors that link that stress type to the outcome of interest.

For example, a small service organization might consider measuring work stressors using employee reports or an objective job evaluation measure of job stress and satisfaction. In addition, it may also consider assessing the effects of a job stress intervention on employee perceptions of work conditions, health symptoms, and employee morale.

Symptoms of Unhealthy Stress Levels

Your body releases adrenaline and cortisol when you are threatened or anxious, triggering a cascade of emotions and physical symptoms designed to help you escape or fight a dangerous situation. This natural, built-in alarm system can be helpful for some people, but over time it may become overwhelming and harmful to your health.

When you are stressed, the hormones released can cause a range of physical symptoms, from a faster heart rate to sweating. They can also affect every organ in your body, including your brain and muscles.

During a stressful situation, the amygdala – part of your brain that deals with emotions – sends signals to the bone marrow to produce extra white blood cells. These can damage artery walls and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

In addition, if you have chronic stress, your adrenal glands release cortisol at a steady pace instead of in bursts, leading to long-term ill effects on your health. It can lead to a range of problems, including weight gain, insomnia and headaches.

Bad habits developed to cope with stress, such personal habits such as comfort eating, smoking and excessive drinking, can also contribute to a higher risk of heart disease and other circulatory problems. Fortunately, there are things you can do to lower your stress level and improve your overall health.

Your doctor can help you find and manage healthy ways to reduce stress. Your doctor can also help you identify underlying health issues that might be contributing to your stress levels, and refer you to a mental-health professional if needed.

Stressor and Stress Response Characteristics

A stressor is a psychological or physical event that disrupts or threatens the individual’s well-being. This stress test could include experiencing a health problem, losing a job, having to care for an elderly or disabled person, experiencing financial losses, or interacting with an abusive partner.

There are several types of stressors, each with unique characteristics (see sidebar). Some stressors elicit a “positive” stress response, in which the body’s alert systems temporarily activate to prepare for the situation. Other stressors, such as a child’s first day with a caregiver, trigger a “tolerable” stress response, which is associated with an increased blood pressure, heart rate and hormone levels that promote healing.

Positive stress responses are brief and usually accompanied by protective reactions such as a rush of endorphins, which reduce pain. Some stressors can also trigger the release of certain hormones, such as cortisol, which can affect behavior and other health complications.

The stress response consists of several axes, including the activation of neuronal and paracrine networks. These axes mediate the short- and long-term effects of stress, such as energy mobilization, inflammatory cytokines, immune suppression, digestive and reproductive system changes, and altered brain neurotransmitter production.

Tolerable stress responses typically occur in childhood and are characterized by brief increases in hormone levels and heart rate, but can be triggered by severe or prolonged difficulties. They can be a normal part of healthy development, but if they occur frequently or last long enough to impact the developing brain, they can be damaging.

The Fundamentals of Stress Measurement

A key factor in determining what to measure in studies of stress and its relationship with health outcomes is the specific type(s) of psychological stress or other stressor exposure that researchers wish to capture. This decision will depend on the specific research question, the uniqueness of the sample being studied and how the researcher plans to assess objective stress exposure (e.g., through the use of a biomarker or a self-report questionnaire).

The choice of what to measure in studies is also complicated by the fact that different types of stress can have varying effects on people. This is particularly true for psychological stress, as it can evoke a range of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses that are not always correlated with the experience of stressor exposure.

Common psychological stress measures include major life events, traumatic or traumatic life events themselves, early life stress exposure, and chronic or perceived stress in various domains (i.e., loneliness, marital discord, experiences of discrimination, work stress, financial strain, neighborhood safety and cohesion).

Selecting the right measure is essential in order to fully account for the impact of stressor exposure and response on health outcomes. The selection of the measure must also consider the characteristics of the stressor and/or response, such as the timescale or occurrence of the event or the types of stress responses being measured.

If you feel that you could benefit from handling stress better, consider speaking with a therapist or using stress management or relaxation techniques, to improve your well-being.

The most commonly used methods of measuring stress include heart rate variability analysis and skin conductance response scales, both of which are based on the theory that the body responds to stressful events all in similar ways. In addition, a number of digital biomarkers are available that can measure various aspects of the body’s stress response.

What Happens If I Don’t Manage My Stress?

Everyone experiences stress at some point in their lives – whether it’s a big event like getting married or buying a house, or small things such as an exhausting work schedule or a rocky relationship. It’s normal to feel stress, but if it becomes chronic or persistent then it can cause problems.

Physical symptoms associated with stress can include headaches, high-blood pressure, aches and pains, racing heart, chest pain, muscle tension, jaw clenching, digestive issues, and more.

A challenging circumstance that disrupts daily life for an extended period of time. Chronic illnesses, accelerated biological aging, obesity, and changes in the neural brain architecture for stress responding.

Understanding what stress is and how it affects you can help you cope better with life’s challenges. If you have trouble managing your stress you should talk to a doctor as they can refer you to a mental health professional such as a therapist or psychiatrist.

It can also help to make sure you have a good support network around you, such as friends and family. People who have strong relationships tend to deal better with stress than those who do not.

Having a regular exercise and sleep routine helps to reduce stress. These activities and sleep patterns can less stress test also improve your mood and reduce the risk of developing depression or anxiety.

When you’re able to deal with your stress better you’ll experience more energy, a positive outlook and less frustration with everyday tasks. You’ll be more likely to avoid unhealthy coping strategies such as drinking and smoking, and have better communication with your loved ones.

You may find it helpful to attend a stress management class or group, which are often run in doctors’ surgeries and community centres. These classes are designed to help you identify the cause of your stress and learn new ways of dealing with it.