Is stress keeping you up at night, affecting your work performance, your relationships, your waistline?

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1/20. What is happening today is more important than the past or the future.-absolutelyNu ma pot decide unde sa ma focusez catre viitor sau catre trecutSunt cateva lucruri pe care le regret pt trecut si am frica de viitor2/20. I breath normally when I feel stressed.Cateodata imi tin respiratia si cateodata respir repede cand sunt stresatRapidRespiratie normala3/20. I have the authority and means to accomplish what I want.4/20. My work is a great source of satisfaction.Nu chiar /absolut/ pot fi ambele5/20. I am a perfectionist, everything has to be done just so.Adevarat/, nu-i adevarat/cateodata6/20. My work is very stressful.Slujba este dificila si f stresanta/cateodata slujba este s/imi iubesc munca si seful7/20. I worry about how things will turn out.Cateodata cand trebuie-baza,/ cateodata/cateodata dar nu des8/20. I like my appearance.As schimba multe/ cu adevarat nu-mi place/imi place cum arat9/20. I wish I was younger than I am now.Mie dor de zilele gloriioase/imi place acum/cine nu si-ar dori sa mai fie tanar10/20. I have trustworthy and caring friends. I can confide to them when I have a problem or concern.Adevarat/nu am pe nimeni in care sa am incredere sa-i spun adevarul/cateodata11/20. My life is rewarding.Nu de data asta/cateodata/in cea mai mare parte a timpulu82/20. Waiting annoys me.Aproape niciodata/cateodata/majoritatea timpului13/20. When something is wrong, I try to deal with it right away.I cant decide or wait for things to be exactly right before I act/mostly true/sometimes14/20. I get moderate exercise 3-5 times a week.Da fac regulat ex/da fac der de multe ori uit/imi este greu sa ma gandesc la exercitii15/20. Over the past year I have had a lot of problems, disappointments and/or tragedies.Absolutely/some/not realy16/20. I fit in well with the people around me.Absolutely/sometimes/not realy I feel like a square peg in a round hole17/20. My job is full of tension and conflict.Slujba poate fi comparata cu o zona de conflict/intro oarecare masuta dasr nu i o regula/ cateodata dar nu zilnic18/20. I will do almost anything to be the best. I think it is worth everything to be on top.Nu pot decide ce este important dar miar place sa fac totul fb sa fiu cel mai bun/imi place sa fac bine dar alte lucrurisunt mai importante de a fi in frunte sus/da absolut acesta sunt eu intotdeauna imi place sa fiu cel mai bun19/20. When I am doing something, it always gets delayed or sidetracked.Cateodata/ da acesta este uzual sa mi se intample mie/once in a while20/20. I drink more than 2 glasses of alcoholic drinks a day.Aproape niciodata/da/cateodata

10 Kick-it Tips To Relieve Stress Fast!Pick the 5 you like best and incorporate them into your life.

1.Body Scan:Start by taking a few slow, deep relaxing breaths. Then bring all your awareness to your feet, notice the sensations in every part of your feet from the big toe, to the little toe, to the heel, to the arch. If you notice any tension, pain, or stress, imagine that each breath is going to that exact spot, bringing relaxation and comfort. Then move your awareness to your ankles, then calfs, knees, thighs, etc.; moving your awareness from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. Do this till you have scanned and brought your attention and breath to each part. Keep remembering that each breath is bringing nourishing oxygen to every cell of your body, relaxing and renewing.

2. Ask For Help!One of the biggest causes of stress is being overwhelmed and overworked. Dont be a Lone Ranger and take on everything yourself. Delegate tasks at work, ask your friends and family for help. It can be one of the best things you can do for yourself that will reduce stress.

3.Say No!The first thing you should say to any demand on your time should be no. That should be your default setting. That includes demands you put on yourself.

4. Exercise Break:Stand up and do some old fashioned calisthenics. A few minutes of toe touches, squats, side bends, or burpees can relieve tension in a matter of seconds. An as an added benefit, even a few minutes of exercise can contribute to your overall fitness plan, build confidence, and help you get into shape.

5. Listen:Bring all your focus to the sounds that surround you. Listen for birds, wind, traffic, the sound of voices. Listen for sounds in the distance. If your environment is too chaotic, listen to white noise like a fan or a fountain. Also listening to a recording of nature sounds like thunder, rain, the ocean, can be very relaxing.

6. Sun Salutation:If you are a yoga practitioner do a few rounds of the sun salutation or some of your favorite yoga poses. Yoga has been proven to be one of the best methods to induce the relaxation response. Not dressed for it, try some chair yoga. For a forward bend, just sit and bend your body over your legs. For twists, just cross your legs and twist to one side of the chair and then to the other. And an easy cat cow stretch can be achieved by standing facing the chair, putting the palms on the seat and arching up like a cat, and swaying the back like a cow.

7. Laugh:Laughter really is the best medicine when it comes to stress! So laugh, pretend to laugh, smile at yourself in the mirror, smile at others. Listen to a joke or tell a joke. You will be happy you did.

8. Mantra:Repeating or thinking about positive, uplifting words or phrases is a fantastic way to relax. My favorite way to do this is to to synchronize the mantra with the breath. During each inhalation think 'Calming' and with each exhalation think 'Smiling'. Next alternate with the thoughts 'Present Moment', 'Happy Moment' like this: Inhale 'Calming', Exhale Smiling', Inhale 'Present Moment', Exhale 'Happy Moment'.Continue thinking these words as you practice deep relaxing breaths and enjoy the sense of calm, peace, and joy that follows. If you are alone or in a space where it doesnt matter, chanting or speaking the mantra out loud is especially powerful because you also hear the positive words as well.

9. Beauty:Look at beautiful things, like artwork, jewelry, fashions, flowers, or your favorite photos or mementoes. (My husband would amend this list of beautiful things to: trucks, tools, power equipment, construction vehicles, and kitties. He especially likes flashlights?!?)Even thinking of things you find beautiful or people you find attractive can lighten your mood and reduce stress.

10. Imagination:Imagine youre doing something fun, your favorite activity, or pretend you are doing something you always wanted to do. I love to tango, so of course I go over Argentine Tango steps in my mind, or envision myself dancing with my favorite partners at a Milonga (A Dance). But it can be anything. You can pretend anything from riding a roller coaster to winning an Oscar, there are no limitations. Let your imagination run wild!

Perceived Stress Scale- 10Item

The questions in this scale ask you about your feelings and thoughts during the last month. In each case, please indicate with a check how often you felt or thought a certain way.

1. In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

2. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

3. In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and "stressed"?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

4. In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

5. In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

6. In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

7. In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations in your life?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

8. In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

9. In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that were outside of your control?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

10. In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?

___0=never___1=almost never___2=sometimes___3=fairly often___4=very often

This scale can be found in:Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress.Journal of Health and Social Behavior,24, 385-396.Link to full-text (pdf)Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapam & S. Oskamp (Eds.),The social psychology of health: Claremont Symposium on applied social psychology.Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Link to full-text (pdf)updated July 8, 2008

PAPERS ON PSS

(1.) Cohen, S., & Janicki-Deverts, D. (2012).Who's stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples from 1983, 2006 and 2009. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42,1320-1334.This article providesNORMATIVE DATAfor the PSS-10 from large 2006 and 2009 probability samples of the U.S.

(2.) Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983).A global measure of perceived stress.Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24,385-396.(providesRELIABILITY and VALIDITY)(3.) Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988).Perceived stress in a probability sample of the U.S.In S. Spacapam & S. Oskamp (Eds.),The social psychology of health: Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.(providesNORMATIVE DATAfor the PSS-4, PSS-10, and PSS-14 from a large U.S. sample polled in 1983)

(4.) Warttig, S. L., Forshaw, M. J., South, J., & White, A. K. (2013).New, normative, English-sample data for the Short Form Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4).Journal of Health Psychology, 18, 1617-1628. (providesNORMATIVE DATAfor the PSS-4 (short form PSS) from a large British sample polled in 2009)(5.) Hewitt, P. L., Flett, G. L., & Mosher, S. W. (1992).The perceived stress scale: Factor structure and relation to depression symptoms in a psychiatric sample.Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 14(3), 247-257.(6.) Remor, E. (2006).Psychometric properties of a European Spanish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).The Spanish journal of psychology, 9(01), 86-93.(7.) Cole, S. R. (1999).Assessment of differential item functioning in the Perceived Stress Scale-10.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 53(5), 319.(8.) Ramrez, M. T. G., & Hernndez, R. L. (2007).Factor structure of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) in a sample from Mexico.The Spanish journal of psychology, 10(01), 199-206.(9.) Roberti, J. W., Harrington, L. N., & Storch, E. A. (2006).Further psychometric support for the 10item version of the perceived stress scale.Journal of College Counseling, 9(2), 135-147.(10.) Mimura, C., & Griffiths, P. (2004).A Japanese version of the perceived stress scale: translation and preliminary test.International Journal of Nursing Studies, 41(4), 379-385.(11.) Reis, R. S., Hino, A. A. F., & Aez, C. R. R. (2010).Perceived Stress Scale reliability and validity study in Brazil.Journal of health psychology, 15(1), 107-114.(12.) Andreou, E., Alexopoulos, E. C., Lionis, C., Varvogli, L., Gnardellis, C., Chrousos, G. P., & Darviri, C. (2011).Perceived stress scale: reliability and validity study in Greece.International journal of environmental research and public health, 8(8), 3287-3298. PMCID: PMC3166743(13.) Leung, D. Y., Lam, T. H., & Chan, S. S. (2010).Three versions of Perceived Stress Scale: validation in a sample of Chinese cardiac patients who smoke.BMC public health, 10(1), 513. PMCID: PMC2939644(14.) Golden-Kreutz, D. M., Browne, M. W., Frierson, G. M., & Andersen, B. L. (2004).Assessing Stress in Cancer Patients A Second-Order Factor Analysis Model for the Perceived Stress Scale.Assessment, 11(3), 216-223.(15.) rc, M. ., & Demir, A. (2009).Psychometric evaluation of perceived stress scale for Turkish university students.Stress and Health, 25(1), 103-109.(16.) Mimura, C., & Griffiths, P. (2008).A Japanese version of the perceived stress scale: Cross-cultural translation and equivalence assessment.BMC Psychiatry, 8(1), 85-85. PMCID: PMC2569029(17.) Chaaya, M., Osman, H., Naassan, G., & Mahfoud, Z. (2010).Validation of the Arabic version of the Cohen perceived stress scale (PSS-10) among pregnant and postpartum women.BMC Psychiatry, 10(1), 111-111. PMCID: PMC3016315(18.) Lee, E. (2012).Review of the psychometric evidence of the perceived stress scale.Asian Nursing Research, 6(4), 121-127.(19.) Lesage, F., Berjot, S., & Deschamps, F. (2012).Psychometric properties of the French versions of the perceived stress scale.International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 25(2), 178-184.(20.) Wang, Z., Chen, J., Boyd, J. E., Zhang, H., Jia, X., Qiu, J., & Xiao, Z. (2011).Psychometric properties of the chinese version of the perceived stress scale in policewomen.PloS One, 6(12), e28610. PMCID: PMC3229602(21.) Jovanovic, V., & Gavrilov-Jerkovic, V. (2015).More than a (negative) feeling: Validity of the perceived stress scale in serbian clinical and non-clinical samples.Psihologija, 48(1), 5-18. doi:10.2298/PSI1501005J(22.) Lee, E., Chung, B. Y., Suh, C., & Jung, J. (2015).Korean versions of the perceived stress scale (PSS14, 10 and 4): Psychometric evaluation in patients with chronic disease.Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 29(1), 183-192. doi:10.1111/scs.12131(23.) Smith, K. J., Rosenberg, D. L., & Timothy Haight, G. (2014).An assessment of the psychometric properties of the perceived stress Scale10 (PSS10) with business and accounting students.Accounting Perspectives, 13(1), 29-59. doi:10.1111/1911-3838.12023

PSS ScoringPSS-10 scores are obtained by reversing the scores on the four positive items, e.g., 0=4, 1=3, 2=2, etc. and then summing across all 10 items. Items 4,5, 7, and 8 are the positively stated items.PSS-4 scores are obtained by reverse coding items # 2 and 3.

PSS-14 scores are obtained by reversing the scores on the seven positive items, e.g., 0=4, 1=3, 2=2, etc., and then summing across all 14 items. Items 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13 are the positively stated items.The PSS was designed for use with community samples with at least a junior high school education, The items are easy to understand and the response alternatives are simple to grasp. Moreover, as noted above, the questions are quite general in nature and hence relatively free of content specific to any sub population group. The data reported in the article are from somewhat restricted samples, in that they are younger, more educated and contain fewer minority members than the general population. In light of the generality of scale content and simplicity of language and response alternatives, we feel that data from representative samples of the general population would not differ significantly from those reported in the article.

More information about obtaining scores for the 4, 10, and 14-item versions of the scale islinked here

Page updated Feb. 23, 2010

Perceived Stress ScaleFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaA major contributor to this article appears to have aclose connectionwith its subject.It may requirecleanupto comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularlyneutral point of view. Please discuss further on thetalk page.(March 2011)

ThePerceived Stress Scalewas developed to measure the degree to which situations in ones life are appraised as stressful. Psychologicalstresshas been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability tocope.The PSS was published in 1983,[1]and has become one of the most widely used[2]psychological instrumentsfor measuring nonspecific perceived stress. It has been used in studies assessing the stressfulness of situations,[3][4]the effectiveness of stress-reducing interventions,[5][6][7][8]and the extent to which there are associations between psychological stress and psychiatric and physical[9][10][11]disorders.The PSS predicts both objective biological markers of stress and increased risk fordiseaseamong persons with higher perceived stress levels. For example, those with higher scores (suggestive ofchronic stress) on the PSS fend worse on biological markers of aging,[12]cortisollevels,[13][14][15]immune markers,[16][17][18][19]depression,[20]infectious disease,[21][22]wound healing,[23]andprostate-specific antigenlevels in men.[24]The Perceived Stress scale was developed bySheldon Cohenand his colleagues.[1]See also[edit] Psychological testingReferences[edit]1. ^Jump up to:abCohen, S; Kamarck T; Mermelstein R (December 1983). "A global measure of perceived stress".Journal of Health and Social Behavior24(4): 385396.doi:10.2307/2136404.PMID6668417.2. Jump up^"Perceived Stress Scale: Measuring the self-perception of stress". 2005. Retrieved29 March2011.3. Jump up^Leon, KA; Hyre AD; Ompad D; DeSalvo KB; Muntner P (December 2007). "Perceived stress among a workforce 6 months following hurricane Katrina".Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology42(12): 10051011.doi:10.1007/s00127-007-0260-6.PMID17932611.4. Jump up^McAlonan, GM; Lee AM; Cheung V; Cheung C; Tsang KWT; Sham PC; Chua SE; Josephine GWS (April 2007). "Immediate and sustained psychological impact of an emerging infectious disease outbreak on health care workers".The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry52(4): 241247.PMID17500305.5. Jump up^Cruess, DG; Antoni MH; Kumar M; Ironson G; McCabe P; Fernandez JB; Fletcher M; Schneiderman N (July 1999). "Cognitive-behavioral stress management buffers decreases in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and increases in the cortisol/DHEA-S ratio and reduces mood disturbance and perceived stress among HIV-seropositive men".Psychoneuroendocrinology24(5): 537549.doi:10.1016/S0306-4530(99)00010-4.PMID10378240.6. Jump up^Holzel, BK; Carmody J; Evans KC; Hoge EA; Dusek JA; Morgan L; Pitman RK; Lazar SW (March 2010)."Stress reduction correlates with structural changes in the amygdala".Social Cognitive & Affective Neuroscience5(1): 1117.doi:10.1093/scan/nsp034.PMC2840837.PMID19776221.7. Jump up^Lane, JD; Seskevich JE; Pieper CF (JanFeb 2007). "Brief meditation training can improve perceived stress and negative mood".Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine13(1): 3844.PMID17283740.8. Jump up^Marcus, MT; Fine PM; Moeller FG; Khan MM; Pitts K; Swank PR; Liehr P (September 2003). "Change in Stress Levels Following Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction in a Therapeutic Community".Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment2(3): 6368.doi:10.1097/00132576-200302030-00001.9. Jump up^Culhane, JF; Rauh V; McCollum KF; Hogan VK; Agnew K; Wadhwa PD (June 2001). "Maternal stress is associated with bacterial vaginosis in human pregnancy".Maternal and Child Health Journal5(2): 127134.doi:10.1023/A:1011305300690.PMID11573838.10. Jump up^Garg, A; Chren MM; Sands LP; Matsui MS; Marenus KD; Feingold KR; Elias PM (January 2001). "Psychological stress perturbs epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis: implications for the pathogenesis of stress-associated skin disorders".Archives of Dermatology137(1): 5359.doi:10.1001/archderm.137.1.53.PMID11176661.11. Jump up^Kramer, JR; Ledolter J; Manos GN; Bayless ML (Winter 2000). "Stress and metabolic control in diabetes mellitus: methodological issues and an illustrative analysis".Annals of Behavioral Medicine22(1): 1728.doi:10.1007/BF02895164.PMID10892525.12. Jump up^Epel, ES; Blackburn EH, Lin J, Dhabhar FS, Cawthon RMMorrow JD, Adler NE, (December 2004)."Accelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress".Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America101(49): 1731217315.doi:10.1073/pnas.0407162101.PMC534658.PMID15574496.13. Jump up^Malarkey, WB; Pearl DK; Demers LM; Kiecolt-Glaser JK; Glaser R (1995). "Influence of academic stress and season on 24-hour mean concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, and beta-endorphin".Psychoneuroendocrinology20(5): 499508.doi:10.1016/0306-4530(94)00077-N.PMID7675934.14. Jump up^Pruessner, JC; Hellhammer DH; Kirschbaum C (MarApr 1999). "Burnout, perceived stress, and cortisol responses to awakening".Psychosomatic Medicine61(2): 197204.doi:10.1097/00006842-199903000-00012.PMID10204973.15. Jump up^van Eck, MM; Nicolson NA (1994). "Perceived stress and salivary cortisol in daily life".Annals of Behavioral Medicine16(3): 221227.16. Jump up^Maes, M; Van Bockstaele DR (1999). "The effects of psychological stress on leukocyte subset distribution in humans: evidence of immune activation".Neuropsychobiology39(1): 19.doi:10.1159/000026552.PMID9892853.17. Jump up^Burns, VE; Drayson M; Ring C; Carroll D (NovDec 2002). "Perceived stress and psychological well-being are associated with antibody status after meningitis C conjugate vaccination".Psychosomatic Medicine64(6): 963970.doi:10.1097/01.PSY.0000038936.67401.28.PMID12461201.18. Jump up^Cohen, S; Doyle WJ; Skoner DP (MarApr 1999). "Psychological stress, cytokine production, and severity of upper respiratory illness".Psychosomatic Medicine61(2): 175180.PMID10204970.19. Jump up^Glaser, R; Kiecolt-Glaser JK; Marucha PT; MacCullum RC; Laskowski BF; Malarkey WB (May 1999). "Stress-related changes in proinflammatory cytokine production in wounds".Archives of General Psychiatry56(5): 450456.doi:10.1001/archpsyc.56.5.450.PMID10232300.20. Jump up^Carpenter, LL; Tyrka AR; McDougle CJ; Malison RT; Owens MJ; Nemeroff CB; Price LH (April 2004). "Cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin-releasing factor and perceived early-life stress in depressed patients and healthy control subjects".Neuropsychopharmacology29(4): 777784.doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300375.PMID14702025.21. Jump up^Cohen, S; Tyrrell DA; Smith AP (January 1993). "Negative life events, perceived stress, negative affect, and susceptibility to the common cold".Journal of Personality and Social Psychology64(1): 131140.doi:10.1037/0022-3514.64.1.131.PMID8421249.22. Jump up^Dyck, DG; Short R; Vitaliano PP (JulAug 1999). "Predictors of burden and infectious illness in schizophrenia caregivers".Psychosomatic Medicine61(4): 411419.PMID10443748.23. Jump up^Ebrecht, M; Hextall J; Kirtley LG; Taylor A; Dyson M; Weinman J (July 2004). "Perceived stress and cortisol levels predict speed of wound healing in healthy male adults".Psychoneuroendocrinology29(6): 798809.doi:10.1016/S0306-4530(03)00144-6.PMID15110929.24. Jump up^Stone, AA; Mezzacappa ES; Donatone BA; Gonder M (September 1999). "Psychosocial stress and social support are associated with prostate-specific antigen levels in men: results from a community screening program".Health Psychology18(5): 482486.doi:10.1037/0278-6133.18.5.482.PMID10519464.