Anxiety Quiz

If you’ve clicked on this page, you’re probably feeling quite stressed. Everyone gets wound up sometimes, so maybe this is just normal. But perhaps you’re worried that it could get worse and you want to know if there’s something wrong.

Take the quiz by choosing the answer for each question that is closest to how you’ve been feeling lately. Then get some tips on how you could start to feel better.

Results

Your answers suggest that you’re feeling anxious. Important points to remember:

If it’s something in your life – that’s what needs to be fixed, not you If something has happened in your life, or if there are big and worrying uncertainties, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Some people respond to feeling overwhelmed by becoming very agitated and on edge. Some respond by sinking into themselves and retreating from life. These are normal things to do.
It can be a vicious circle We all know that feeling of getting so uptight that you trip yourself up and make things go wrong. Then the next time, you worry even more. If that’s happening for you, it’s important to break out of the vicious circle, but sometimes it’s easier to do that by talking it over with someone neutral like a counsellor or therapist.
Anxiety is in your body too When you get anxious, your body acts is if it’s under attack. It pumps out hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that would let you fight back. But you’re not really in a fight and those hormones just keep your tense, your mind racing, your body unable to relax and sleep. Break into that pattern with a short meditation or relaxation exercise. Start a good sleep routine. Get physical exercise every day but not in the evening. Cut down or avoid caffeine. Get outside and in touch with nature, even just a walk in the park or sitting in your garden.
Distract yourself with happy things Anxiety would have you worrying 24 hours a day and it won’t help. Consciously make time for thinking about happy things, watch an easy comedy that makes you feel relaxed, set aside some time to remember happy times, take up some absorbing activity like knitting or gardening to keep your mind too busy to worry.
Don’t avoid friend It’s easy to retreat when you feel anxious or panicked and you can’t seem to laugh or have fun with people. But isolation makes worries grow. You don’t need to challenge yourself with demanding social events but try to keep low-key social contacts going. Even the introverts amongst us are social creatures and we feel safer with friends around us.
If it feels too hard to manage these issues on your own, then get in touch and we can work together in therapy to soothe these worries and help you feel stronger.

You are a very chilled out dude. Congratulations on managing the stresses of life with such a calm attitude and generally good vibes. Nothing in life is worth getting too fussed about, except maybe if someone messes with your rug.

#1. Do you try to stop worrying but you just can’t, morning to night?

All the time

A lot of days it's like that

Sometimes

Hardly ever feel that way

Never, I can switch to thinking easy thoughts when I want

#2. How often do you feel so on edge and restless that people notice it?

Every day

Most days but I get some better days

Sometimes

Hardly ever, I'm quite relaxed in my body

Never, I'm very chilled out

#3. How often do you get irritable with other people over nothing much at all?

Most days, I lose my temper or get upset over trivial things

A lot of the time and I know I'm being too intense

Some days I feel wound up like that

Hardly ever, I can usually go with the flow

Never, nothing really gets me wound up

#4. How often do you struggle to sleep because your mind is racing over things that might happen?

Every night, I'm almost afraid to try to sleep

A lot of the time, mind races off when I lie down

Sometimes, but some days I'm tired and go straight to sleep

Hardly ever, I generally sleep easily

Never, sleeping is a talent of mine

#5. How often do you find your mind going over terrible things that could happen, even when there’s no reason to think they’ll happen?

All the time, it's like my mind is torturing me

Quite a lot, I feel like the worst could happen and I have to think about it

Sometimes, because bad things do happen

Hardly ever, I generally look on the sunny side

Never, I'm a born optimist

#6. Do you find that your body is tense, like your shoulders or neck or your chest is tight?

Always, I am so tense all over and just can't physically relax

A lot of the time, but I can make myself sit and relax some days

Sometimes, on worse days I tighten up

Hardly ever, I can loosen off when I need to

Never, I'm really supple and easy in my body

#7. Have you had an anxiety attack where you panic and feel scared, perhaps as if you’re having a heart attack?

Happening a lot and I feel worried about going out

Has happened a couple of times

It hasn't happened but sometimes I feel I'm on the edge of it

Never felt like that

#8. If there are difficult things in your life, like someone is sick, or you might lose your house, or your kids are having problems, how well can you cope?

I can't cope at all, I can't think straight, I feel like I'm not on safe ground

I try to think it through, figure out how we'll manage, but I get bogged down and stressed

It varies from day-to-day, some days I feel OK about managing, others I can't

I can usually cope with problems and help others too

Bad things happen in life but I feel like I'll always manage

#9. Can you concentrate and prioritise and get things done?

Not at all, I start one thing then get stressed and start another and it's such a mess

I can't easily keep my mind still to see things through but I just about manage

Some days I just can't think, my mind is racing, but other days I'm OK

Hardly ever, I can usually get down to things and focus when I need to

Never, I'm really clear minded

#10. Do you get yourself wound up about things that other people say you shouldn’t worry about?

All the time, I try not to tell people now because they don't get it

A lot of the time and I feel I should be able to manage better

Sometimes, but I can calm myself down and see it's not worth getting stressed about

Hardly ever, I can keep things in perspective

Never, I never get wound up

Finish