The good news is that stress in manageable amounts is actually a good thing. It speeds up the heart rate and sends blood to the brain. Remember, stress accelerates the sympathetic nervous system. So, how stressed are you? Take this quick test by answering the following questions:

• Are your shoulders too close to your earlobes?
• Are you tapping or shaking your foot or finger?
• Do you feel tired enough that you could lie down and take a nap?
• Are you worrying about what happened yesterday or the day before?
• Do you think everyone will be successful but you?
• Are you feeling on edge?
• Is your breathing shallow?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are overstressed.

Source: Stressed Out About the NCLEX-RN® HCPro, Inc., 2006. For more information on our series of Stressed Out books, visit www.stressedoutnurses.com