Are you susceptible to work stress related illness? Take our stress test and find out.

Stress ball

The amount of pressure you come under at work contributes to your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. Try our stress test to see how susceptible you are to work stress related illnesses.

New research hot off the press from the British Medical Journal shows us how the link between stress and heart disease may work. Researchers examined the link between levels of work stress and metabolic syndrome in 10,308 British workers aged between 35 and 55, over a 14 year period.

Stress was measured on four occasions between 1985 and 1999. Components of what's known as the "metabolic syndrome" were measured. These include obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Social position, income levels and health damaging behaviours, such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise, were also recorded.

The bottom line?

A direct relationship between exposure to job stress and the metabolic syndrome, even after adjusting for other risk factors was found. Men with chronic work stress were twice as likely to develop the syndrome and other diseases as those with no exposure!

Correlation between metabolic syndrome and a person’s exposure to health damaging behaviours was also strong. Poor diet (particularly no fruit and vegetables), smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity were all associated with higher odds.

The implications for you and I are clear. We must actively manage our work stress levels and minimise health damaging behaviours to live better for longer.

Try my 'stress test' to rate how susceptible you are to work stress related illness. Simply rate each statement below then add up your scores.

1 - Never 2 - Rarely 3 - Sometimes 4 - Often 5 - Always

I have little control or influence over my work
My work interferes with my family / personal life.
I have too much work to do and / or unreasonable deadlines.
I think there is one right way to do things.
I don't receive the recognition I deserve when I do a good job.
I am easily irritated and / or upset.
I have difficulty exercising.
I keep things inside and don't want to burden others with my problems.
I have difficulty making decisions.
I tend to neglect my diet (eat irregularly, eat unhealthy foods, etc.).
I try to do everything myself.
I rush through the day and have no time left to relax.
I tend to make a 'big deal' about everything.
I spend a lot of time complaining about the past.
I have trouble sleeping and/or sleep too much.
I suffer from headaches and migraines.
I feel tired / fatigued for no real reason.
I feel as if I don't want to get up in the morning.
Your score is:

10-30
Low. You have a few things stressing you out in your life but, you seem to be managing them quite well.

31-50
Fairly Low. You are likely to be experiencing some negative effects of stress. Depending on the challenges in front of you, you need to learn ways to deal effectively with the stress in your life.

51-70
Moderate. You may be suffering from chronic stress. It would be good to learn ways to deal more effectively with change and minimise adverse effects of stress.

71-90
High. You are probably suffering from some of the effects of stress and should seek out resources and assistance to help you. You may be experiencing headaches, problems with sleeping, irritability, difficulty concentrating, depression, anxiety, difficulty balancing work and home, and indecision.

Stressed to the gills or mellow as a cello? Tell us below - Ed

Gabriel Perera is a Generation X health and wellness expert with a solid business track record who helps Australians revolutionise their health, naturally.

8 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

Spot on. I've just had an extremely busy time in my home office while still doing all household chores for husband and child. Off to doctor for unrelated check-up and diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now on tablets and depressed about my impending "old age". I'm 42! Suzanne from Nowra
Just had the deaths of a close friend and then my girlfriend in car crashes. All of a sudden workload doesn't seem nearly as stressful as other more important things. LIve life like there's no tomorrow, because one fateful day there wont be. Paul from Northland NZ
There are some stresses that can be good and motivating ... if you have things in balance, and love your work, then some stresses are just a happy part of it. I also believe making time for 30 mins of exercise each day is a good stress reliever and taking time out if there is something you really need to attend to. Taking time out and making up the time at different working hours is how I manage stress and family as a lot of my work is deadlines.
I agree with Paul's sentiment - I also lost two close friends three years ago and it certainly made me look at the way I run my life. Today at 49 7/12, I am much happier, healthier and more able to balance work and family. And I still love my work. Karen from Springwood NSW
I was at a workshop the other day and several of the contributors were getting fairly worked up about the 'epidemic' of lifestyle diseases in the Western world.
My response - "there's hope!" And there really is!
Getting Perspective as everyone's posts suggest is really important. The interesting thing is that perspective need not require a major life event to blossom. Even a second's time-out, particularly at times when life feels like everything is out of control.
At these times, just the act of physically, emotionally and mentally s-t-o-p-p-i-n-g and slowing down, even momentarily can have extraordinary benefits for your peace of mind and overall wellbeing. Next time you're feeling overwhelmed, underwhelmed or just over it, STOP and experience yourself sitting in the chair, your feet on the ground, your breath moving through your body...then, pick up the phone, tap the keyboard, answer the e-mail or whatever it was you were about to do.
Good luck! Gabriel from Sydney
Indeed there is a real "urgency addiction" in today's society and workplace, home office and family.
It is up to us as managers of our own destiny to make a conscious decision about how we choose to spend the precious daylight hours of our life.
Go well. Heidi Alexandra from Warners Bay
my results in the stress test didnt surprise me - it validates where im at and i can sight significant improvement (with still more to come!). Thank you for this opportunity, I think its great to reflect to understand and improve.
regards Judy Judy Forbes from adelaide

8 comments | Add your own 1 2 | Next» View all»

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