Quick Stress Score: Assess Your Stress Level

What is the PSS-10?

The PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) is the most widely used measure of perceived stress in the world. Developed by psychologist Sheldon Cohen in 1983, it has been validated by hundreds of studies in more than 30 languages.

Unlike other tools that measure stressful events themselves, the PSS-10 assesses how you perceive your stress. Two people facing the same situation can have very different levels of perceived stress — and it's this perception that influences your health.

How to interpret your score

The total score ranges from 0 to 40. Three levels are defined:

• 0 to 13 — Low stress: you handle life's situations well. Keep up your positive habits
• 14 to 26 — Moderate stress: a common level, but stress-management techniques can help you cope better day to day
• 27 to 40 — High stress: your perception of stress is strong. Concrete changes and professional support are recommended

The two dimensions of perceived stress

The PSS-10 measures two complementary facets of your relationship to stress:

• Perceived helplessness (questions 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10): the feeling of being overwhelmed, submerged by events, of not controlling what happens to you
• Perceived self-efficacy (questions 4, 5, 7, 8): your sense of control, of confidence, your ability to cope with difficulties

A high helplessness score combined with a low self-efficacy score is the most at-risk profile.

Stress and health: why act?

Chronic stress isn't just a passing discomfort. When it lasts, it can cause sleep disturbances, physical pain, irritability and weaken the immune system. Somatization — when stress speaks through the body — affects a large part of the population.

Reducing your stress: where to start?

Heart coherence is one of the most effective and fastest techniques to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone). In 5 minutes of practice, your nervous system switches into recovery mode. Combined with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, you have concrete tools to regain control.

For stress at work, specific strategies exist: micro breathing breaks, priority organization and disconnection techniques.