A Self Assessment
Fertility Stress Test
Stress has become all too familiar in our modern society.
While stress is necessary and considered normal in response
to challenges or threats, excessive stress can lead to a serious
compromise in physical and mental well being.
What follows is a series of questions that attempts to get
an overall picture of the level of stress you are currently
experiencing. This questionnaire consists of 15 questions.
Please read each carefully, and decide on the degree
of change you have felt over the past year. Assign
a numerical value (1- 5) accordingly.
Once you’ve completed, total your scores and read about possible
stress indicators. You may prefer to print these pages for your
convenience.
1 = No change |
2 = Little change |
3 = Fair change |
4 = Significant
change |
5 = Great deal of change |
| Questions: |
| 1. |
Do you tire easily? |
|
| 2. |
Are questions people asking you more irritating? |
|
| 3. |
Are you working harder, and accomplishing
less? |
|
| 4. |
Are you increasingly more cynical and disenchanted? |
|
| 5. |
Do you feel sad often? |
|
| 6. |
Are you forgetting appointments, deadlines
or personal possessions more frequently? |
|
| 7. |
Are you increasingly more irritable, short
tempered or disappointed? |
|
| 8. |
Are you seeing close friends and family
less frequently? |
|
| 9. |
Are you too busy to do even routine things
like make phone calls? |
|
| 10. |
Are you suffering more from physical ailments
such as aches, pain, headaches or insomnia? |
|
| 11. |
Do you feel more disoriented when the days
activity come to a halt? |
|
| 12. |
Does joy seem more elusive, hard to pin
down? |
|
| 13. |
Are you less able to laugh at a joke about
yourself? |
|
| 14. |
Does sex seem like more trouble than it’s
worth? |
|
| 15. |
Do you have less to say to people? |
|
|
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If your score is between:
15- 25 YOU'RE DOING FINE
26-35 THERE ARE THINGS YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING
Prevention is smart tactic regarding your health. Re examine those
questions you rated highest (4 & 5 ratings) and try to take
small steps towards some problem solving strategies.
36-50 YOU ARE A STRONG CANDIDATE FOR BURNOUT
You might consider speaking to a professional regarding how best to manage
and reduce your current life stressors. The Mind Body Behavioural Medicine Fertility Program is highly recommended.
51-54 YOU ARE BURNING OUT
You are experiencing a significant level of stress. If you feel
that you are coping well in spite of the test results, you might
want to check with someone who knows you well (such as your spouse)
to get a second opinion. If you agree with the test results it
is highly recommended that you speak with a professional such
as your doctor or other health care professional who sepecializes
in stress management. You might have become more stressed out
while reading the questionnaire above. That’s very normal.
You are stressed because you can’t conceive, which makes
you more stressed. And ironically, stress can make you even less
likely to conceive. And that of course stresses you out more.
This process can spiral on endlessly, unless you learn to break
the cycle of stress. The Mind/Body Fertility program teaches you
how to break the cycle.
Periodic Self Assessment
Fertility treatment can be a seductive roller coaster and knowing
when to stop or simply take a break for a month or two is important.
You might consider doing this assessment three times a year to
check in with yourself periodically to make sure you are still
feeling committed to continue the fertility journey and treatments!
Keep your previous scores recorded on the paper and date, so you
can do some accurate comparisons. Please remember
nothing is more important than your mental health. Having a child
is a worth while goal but it should not be at any price, emotionally,
physically or spiritually.
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