STRESS LEVEL CONTINUUM
The Stress Level Continuum can help you recognize your stress level through your behaviors.
The stress level continuum is a conceptual framework used to represent the varying degrees of stress that individuals may experience.
It typically ranges from low or no stress to high or chronic stress. The continuum helps illustrate that stress is not a binary condition but exists on a spectrum.
The situations given below are only examples and not indicative of stress levels.
BLISSFUL STATE
This level could be the bliss level — a complete sense of relaxation. A complete sense of well-being and peace is experienced. There is NO stress.
(1) HIGH ENERGY STATE
At this level, energy is abundant- physical, mental, and spiritual. Sports persons excelling in their field are known to be at these levels.
We have all experienced this when we are doing something we love. This is positive stress. This is always present in most high achievers who also enjoy their work.
(2) MANAGING COMFORTABLY
We comfortably manage when we have more energy than what is demanded. At this stress level, we have more physical, mental, and spiritual energy than life demands. For Example, a change of place is stressful, but some people have amazing adapting capabilities and cope beautifully without the slightest strain. For most, just the thought of change can be stressful.
(3) MANAGING
When our energy levels — (physical, mental, and spiritual) easily meet the demands of life made on us. We are doing what we want, where, how, and when we want. Just one parameter changes, and we go to level 4.
(4) MANAGING MOSTLY
Here, our physical, mental, and spiritual energies can deal with most of the demands made on us. Here, we adjust our lifestyle or work and easily reach level 3.
(5) BARELY MANAGING
Barely getting everything done, need help, but don’t ask for it, tell yourself to “try harder, plan your time better”; start to let go of self-care activities; have a hard time saying “no”; do not notice stress building.
(6) SPACED OUT
Not being present in the situation at hand, not hearing what is being said to you because of your own “self-talk,’ zoning out, getting lost in daydreams, etc. We overlook the built-up stress within.
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(7) DEFENSIVE
When we start noticing that others are not “taking care of business,” heavy use of denial, anger, bargaining, silence, withdrawal, blame, criticism, excuses, intellectualizing, rationalizing, evading, minimizing, moralizing, pleading or apologizing.
(8) OVER REACTIVE
Jumping to a conclusion, not willing to listen, frequently disagreeing, threatening, sarcastic, glaring; feeling overwhelming loneliness, frustration, rage, resentment, and self-pity; saying always and never when hurt or angry.
(9) OUT OF CONTROL
Engaging in excessive or addictive behaviors such as alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, spending, obsessive relationship or work; violence (verbal or physical).
(10) TOTAL COLLAPSE
Emergency hospital care is needed.
These are different levels of the same continuum, going from 0 stress levels to completely abnormal emotional states, where one cannot deal with reality, and one has to take support outside.
We keep going up and down the continuum on the same day. There could be many more levels in between, or two levels could overlap. This is just an indicative guide to note your stress levels.
The problem is we need to take measures when we cross the danger mark. The perfect analogy would be a frog put in nice warm water and placed on a stove. The heat is increased so slowly that the frog does not even realize it until it is cooked. And we, like frogs in the water, do not realize and keep working with stress and stretching our limits.
And sooner or later, physical or mental symptoms develop, and we are forced to take care of the physical or psychological distress. We take care of the symptoms alone and not the underlying stress till there is a complete breakdown.
As you can see in the continuum, water in our pot of life gets uncomfortably warm at level 5 and continues to heat until it reaches a full boil at 10.
Take some time and review this scale. Can you identify any of YOUR behaviors on this list? Can you see the behavior as an indicator of stress?
This scale is useful for identifying and rating your stress before you come to a boil! Use this scale several times a day to identify your stress level. Then tap for your identified stress behavior.
Tapping deals quickly and effectively with simple issues related to stress behaviors. Tapping also opens opportunities to learn how well entrenched our negative behaviors have become a part of our dynamic. As we do this work, we can see that our behavior under stress, while it causes problems(results), is not the problem. Rather, our behavior is the ‘key’ to the solution. Taking care of the self instead of just the symptoms helps us understand ourselves and our emotions.
It is important to understand that when we live a life that serves other people’s needs without sufficient self-care, it is stressful for our system.
Most of the people seeking medical care in urban areas are doing so because of stress-related health problems. We cannot limit our efforts to stress management only; stress resolution is what is needed. Tapping and self-awareness are the two elements that will allow for that resolution.
Here is my book just launched to understand how our mind works and use Tapping to get relief in minutes.
