I feel under pressure all the time, I'm restless and I have trouble sleeping. It's time for me to have my stress level tested. For that, I'm going to do a cortisol saliva test. You can find out how I fared and what you need to watch out for if you want to get tested here!
Everyone talks about stress. But do we all really have that much of it? I feel like I'm constantly juggling between thousands of to-dos and then trying to organize my personal life as well. I feel burnt out, rushed and restless.
I would like to find out today whether it only feels that way or whether you can already notice it physically. To do this, I want to test my stress level and see in black and white how my cortisol level is doing.
You don't have to go to the doctor for such a test. There is now a whole range of very good self-tests that you can perform at home.
But how does it actually work and when do you get the result? All this is the subject of this blog post.
Table of contents
How do I recognize signs of excessive stress?
Before I look at how to test my stress level, I first want to find out what the classic symptoms are. That way, I can already see where I can classify myself. Signs of stress can show themselves both physically and psychologically.
Physical signs
- High blood pressure: High stress levels can raise blood pressure and increase heart rate.
- TensionYou are stressed? Then you are guaranteed also tense. Especially the neck, shoulders and back are typical indicators of a too high stress level. Tension leads to pain, which in turn leads to stress.
- Breathing problemsStress causes your breathing to become shallower and faster.
- Sleep disordersStress means that you can't fall asleep or sleep through the night. The mind is restless and constantly in activity, you find it difficult to rest.
- Digestive problems: Diarrhea, bloated belly, constipation, sudden intolerances? All this can come from excessive stress.
- Headache: Migraines and tension headaches are often triggered by stress. Many sufferers have elevated cortisol levels.
- Susceptibility to infections: People with a long-lasting and high stress level are more susceptible to infections such as colds.
Psychological signs
- IrritabilityDo you often have inexplicable mood swings and are irritable? Even small things can lead to frustration.
- Concentration problemsProlonged stress makes you unable to concentrate. Your thoughts wander, you can't focus on a task.
- ExhaustionYou feel very tired and exhausted. Even when you have had enough sleep. Everything seems very exhausting to you.
- Eating behaviorYou have food cravings or hardly any appetite. You prefer high-fat and/or sugary foods. Very many reach for fast food.
- Social withdrawalMeeting people is stressful for you. Instead, you settle down and withdraw. You have no desire for social activities.
Do you find yourself in a few points? Then it can be useful to have your stress level tested or to test it yourself.
Not everyone reacts the same way to stress. One "tolerates" a little more of it, the other less.
Why test your stress level?
If you feel like you're under a lot of pressure at work and in your free time and have trouble relaxing, you should test your stress level. There are a variety of reasons for this:
Raise status quo
A stress level test helps you to recognize how much you are actually affected by stress. Prolonged stress is very unhealthy for our body and for the psyche. It can promote various diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders, digestive problems and much more.
If you can rank your stress levels, then you can take steps to minimize them. Maybe you'll do another test in six months to see how your cortisol levels have changed.
Early recognition of stresses
Stress often develops insidiously and then builds up into a real monster that many people feel they can no longer control.
You can also test your stress level now to take action against it before it causes health problems. The sooner you reduce your stress, the healthier it is for your body.
Many preventive measures are easier to implement than to reduce an enormously high stress level later on.
Self-knowledge and self-management
When you have the status of your stress level in front of you, you can develop a better understanding of what factors trigger stress in your life.
Now you can begin to develop strategies to combat it. You'll learn to control your stressors and steer a healthy course. This will improve your quality of life and help you deal with challenges better.
Some can also Healing stones help against stressto relax. I'm not the type for it, but many it provides relief. I'm more the person who likes it with Meditation exercises against stress tried
What methods are available to have one's stress level tested?
- Saliva testIt is very easy to do and measures your stress level for a whole day. For this, you have to do several small tests, which are then evaluated by a laboratory. The level of cortisol is used. You can do this test at home.
- Blood draw: The amount of the stress hormone cortisol is also evaluated here. This test is performed by a physician and is a snapshot.
- QuestionnairesQuestionnaires (Perceived Stress Scales) can be used to measure your perceived stress level. All you have to do is answer questions and rank yourself. You answer questions from everyday life and have to assign how stressful certain situations are for you.
- Sensors: A few wearables such as fitness trackers or smartwatches can measure skin temperature, sweat response and heart rate. Based on the data, they create an evaluation of the stress level.
Why are cortisol saliva tests meaningful?
With a saliva test, you don't take a snapshot like with classic blood tests. You test for a whole day how your stress level develops. More precisely, you have to take 7 saliva samples within 12 hours.
From the saliva, laboratories can read the development of your stress level. The great advantage of such tests is that you can't really do anything wrong as long as you follow the instructions.
You don't have to draw blood, just spit into a tube and fill the saliva. But more on that in a moment. The tests measure the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day. This will also give you an overview of natural fluctuations and see if you're reducing stress hormones in your free time.
With the Discount code "Wild10" you get 10 % discount on the test! Just enter the code when you place your order. With a Click on the link the discount is automatically deducted.
How does a stress level self-test work?
Anxious to see what the self-test results, I order it with on the Cerascreen Website.
I have it in my hands for a few days. Now it's getting exciting. I wonder what result I'll get when I test my stress level?
In the package I find 7 saliva tubes, 1 transport tube, 7 straws, 1 return envelope, 1 test ID card and 7 stickers. And of course instructions.
In total, I have to take 7 samples spread over 12 hours. For this I may:
- Do not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum 30 minutes before the test
- do not drink alcohol the night before
- do not brush your teeth or use mouthwash beforehand
And I have to go to bed before 11 p.m. the night before and get up at 8 a.m. at the latest.
Since I have dutifully followed all the guidelines, it can now go - this is my Cerascreen Cortisol Test Experience!
First I have to register on the Cerascreen website and activate the test. To do this, you enter the 6-digit ID number on the website. You can find the ID on the test ID card in the accessories. And then you can start with the first test.
I have already had a test done at Cerascreen. At that time it was the food allergy test. I wanted to find out why I always feel so bad after eating. If you want to read about it, take a look here: "I do an allergy test against food - this is my experience“
This is my Cerascreen Cortisol Test experience
Procedure:
- I rinse the mouth with water and wait 5 minutes
- With the straw I fill the tube with saliva
- I close the test tube and stick the sticker from the test ID card onto the small tube
- Now the tube goes into the transport tube, is screwed shut and after that I have to put it into the freezer
- I repeat these steps throughout the day
It is actually quite simple. You just have to be careful not to drink, eat, etc. beforehand. Especially at lunchtime and in the afternoon, when I normally treat myself to a snack, it's not easy. But you only have to do it for one day.
Tested is:
- directly after getting up
- 30 minutes after getting up (in between you must not drink, eat or brush your teeth!)
- 1 hour after getting up
- 2 hours after getting up
- 5 hours after getting up
- 8 hours after getting up
- 12 hours after getting up
To make sure I don't forget, I set seven reminders in the calendar and an equal number of alarm clocks. After the third Cerascreen cortisol test, I already have a lot of experience. It goes like clockwork: take the sample, freeze it and wait for the next test.
Submit
In the evening at 7 p.m. I hold the transport tube in front of me, which is filled with 7 saliva tubes. Now I have to put all the samples in the freezer overnight and send them in the morning.
I bag the transport tube in the return envelope and carry my test to the post office in the morning.
Now it's time to wait. So far, my Cerascreen cortisol test experience has been very positive. However, I didn't have to do much more than spit into tubes. It will be exciting in the next few days when I get the result.
The result
After 4 days I get an email. It says that I can log into my account to read the result. I have a screenshot for you here so you can see what the result can look like.
I get an overview of how my cortisol level has developed throughout the day. Under normal circumstances, the cortisol level is highest in the morning and then decreases until the evening.
I can compare my values with the typical daily curve and get indications of whether I have chronic or acute stress and whether I might even be at risk of burnout.
Surprisingly, I am completely in the normal range, although I feel mega stressed right now. Maybe I'm lucky and my stress level hasn't affected me physically yet.
How can the result improve my quality of life?
You can't see stress, you can't touch it - which leads most people to simply label it as normal. But excessive stress is not normal and anything but healthy.
I am the best example of this: if someone cannot prove to me in black and white that something is the way it is, then I find it difficult to admit it.
With the test I now have in mind that it is probably not as bad as I feared. Personally, it helps me to create a plan to steer my everyday life in an orderly and calm way.
I need to find a way to learn to deal with these situations and try not to get myself into these moments in the first place.
I will now try it in the first step with long walks in the forest and meditation music before going to bed. Let's see how well that helps me.
However, my Cerascreen Cortisol Test experience does not only include an evaluation of the stress level. I also get recommendations for action. For example, on the topics of nutrition, relaxation techniques and certain nutritional supplements that can be helpful in very stressful times.
Look here: "This is how you learn to deal with stress better!“
Frequently asked questions about stress level testing
For whom does it make sense to test your stress level?
I recommend a cortisol saliva test to anyone who feels overly pressured and is constantly anxious inside. Get the status of your cortisol level and then take conscious action against it.
The stress self-test is not very useful for all those who have the feeling that they are at peace with themselves and are rarely stressed. A certain amount of everyday stress is quite normal at times. As long as you find time to calm down afterwards, it is usually not a problem.
If you want to know your status too, you can use our discount code. With the Cerascreen discount code "Wild10" you get 10 % on the test! Just enter the code when you place your order. With a Click on the link the discount is automatically deducted.
Where else can I test my stress level?
If you don't feel like doing a self-test at home, contact your family doctor. Here you can find out who offers such tests in your area. However, it is often difficult to find someone promptly.
A psychologist or therapist can also help you assess your stress level professionally. You can also begin to consciously listen to your body and note the signals. When do you feel that your stress is getting out of hand? What is the trigger? And how long has it lasted?
What role does nutrition play in stress management?
The topic of nutrition is still completely underestimated on so many levels - even when it comes to pressure, which has a physical and psychological impact. A healthy and balanced diet helps our bodies cope better with stress.
Malnutrition can worsen many symptoms.
Antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress in the cells. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene.
You can do something good for your psyche by taking in lots of vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. This also helps to strengthen the immune system. Also make sure you get enough zinc in your diet.
All in all, even if it's tempting, stay away from fast food, sugar, fat, etc. Go for healthy food and drinks to support your body. Preparing homemade meals also has a stress-reducing effect on many people. For this, think over the weekend what exactly you will and want to eat. Buy all the ingredients in one day to avoid additional "what should I cook today" stress.
Also look here: "Is a gut flora analysis worthwhile? The big self-test!“
Should I seek professional help if my stress level is high?
If you feel that you are no longer in control, professional help can be a very good idea. Together with a therapist, you can develop a strategy that will help you deal with such situations or avoid ending up in such stressful moments in the first place.
Deliberately Google "stress therapist" or "psychotherapist stress." There are now several experts who have dedicated themselves to this topic.
What is cortisol and what is it good for?
Cortisol (also called hydrocortisone) is a vital hormone, colloquially known as the stress hormone. Our body produces it in the adrenal cortex.
The hormone is released together with adrenaline in dangerous or stressful situations. The body then releases energy that makes us alert and awake. In addition, digestion is suppressed and the immune system is shut down. Thus, all available energies in the body are ready to face the situation. In the past, there were two options "fight or flight."
Today, we cannot escape from our stressful job and daily life. That's why many can't reduce cortisol. We are under constant attack, which brings both physical and psychological consequences.
Also interesting: "Here's how you can reduce stress hormones today!“
My conclusion
Anyone who feels constantly under pressure, sleeps badly, can't switch off thoughts and feels constantly electrified should have their stress level tested. There are now very good self-tests that you can easily perform at home.
After a few days, you have the result and can read your cortisol level. With this result you have in black and white that you should change something in your lifestyle before chronic diseases occur and the consequences become noticeable both physically and psychologically.
All the best for you!
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