Take our Stress Test

“HeadsUpGuys has made me realize I need to talk and reach out.” – Age 21, UK

We all feel stress, but we seldom take the time to sit down and really sort our shit out.

Our Stress Test includes questions about common stressors that can impact our mental health and lead or contribute to depression – so you can better understand and prioritize what to work on.

Stress can come from many sources, including our:

  • Physical environments
  • Family, social, or romantic relationships
  • Finances
  • Illness or injuries
  • Past traumatic events
  • Major life events or transitions

Even exciting and joyful events can be significant sources of stress, especially if they are challenging (like starting a new job, moving to a new place, or having a child).

Slowing down to take a more methodical look at your sources of stress and how much they are impacting you can give you a better idea of what to work on, and in what order. Our Stress Test may also help uncover stressors from your past that you still need to address in order to move forward.

Unmanaged and ongoing stress is a real issue that can have serious effects on our physical and mental health. The negative impact of stress isn’t necessarily cumulative – sometimes even small stressors can feel overwhelming. This is a serious warning sign that it’s time to seek professional support, as this level of stress can lead to depression or make depression more difficult to fight.

It’s important not only to identify the stressors in our lives, but to also then take steps to manage and reduce them.

What to do with my results?

After you submit the Stress Test, you will be provided with a list of your stressors, ordered by how unmanageable they are.

For each stressor, try to ask yourself:

  • Is this something I can control, or is it out of my hands?
  • Are there actionable steps I can take to address it?
  • Who can I talk to about it?

Print or save your Stress Test results to kick-start a conversation with a doctor or therapist about how to get better support and build new skills for managing the stressors in your life.

    Is it okay to record your responses anonymously for our research? We will not ask for information that can personally identify you.

    Should you choose to not include your Stress Test information in our research project, you are welcome to complete the Stress Test but your responses will not be saved or recorded for research. See full details.

    NoYes

    What is your gender?

    ManWomanNon-binary

    Please enter your age

    Please indicate the country you live in:

    CanadaUnited StatesUnited KingdomIrelandAustraliaNew ZealandOther

    Please indicate your sexual orientation:

    HeterosexualGay or LesbianBisexualOther

    What is your current relationship status?

    SingleCommitted relationship, not living togetherMarried or committed relationship, living togetherSeparated or divorcedWidowed

    Are you currently enrolled in post-secondary education?

    YesNo

    Which of the following categories best describes your current employment?

    Full-time, single positionEquivalent to full-time, multiple positionsPart-time, multiple positionsPart-time, single positionDisabled, not able to workNot employed, looking for workNot employed, not looking for workRetired

    Average hours worked per week:

    0-9 hrs10-19 hrs20-29 hrs30-39 hrs40-49 hrs50-59 hrs60+ hrs

    Please select items from the list below that are causing you mild to severe stress:

    Death of a spouseSeparation or divorceDeath of a loved one (family member, close friend)Personal illness or injuryDifficulties with alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other substance useLoss of employmentRetirementIllness or injury of close family memberRelationship problems with spouse/romantic partnerMove to a new neighbourhoodBirth of a child/adoption of a new childIssues with sexual performanceFinancial strainDifficulties at workDifficulties at schoolBeing bullied/harassed or cyberbulliedDeath of a petLoss of social statusLonelinessLack of purpose or meaning in lifeOther

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
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    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    1. Over what period has this stressor been affecting you?

    WeekMonthSeveral MonthsYearMultiple Years

    2. How intense is the stress caused by the issue above?

    Minimally stressful 12345 Extremely stressful

    3. How well are you able to manage this stress?

    Managing very well 12345 Not managing at all
    Prev

    HeadsUpGuys Research

    As a leading global resource on men’s health, HeadsUpGuys regularly conducts research to better understand issues that impact men’s mental health. In partnership with The University of British Columbia, HeadsUpGuys is currently researching stress issues among men.

    You have the option of including your Stress Test responses in our research, which will be recorded and grouped together with responses from other participants to be analysed and reported in our future research reports, academic papers and/or at conferences. We will not ask for information that can personally identify you.

    Gender:

    HeadsUpGuys asks about gender to help us better understand our visitors, learn more about men's mental health, and inform the creation of future content.

    Your Results

    To help you prioritize which stressors to work on, we’ve ordered them here by how unmanageble they are. This overview lets you know how each stressor is affecting your life, and can help you decide which need the most attention.

    It’s time to take action

    Looks like you’ve got one or more major stressors that need to be addressed.

    Where to start:

    If you haven’t connected with a therapist

    Read more

    Even having one major stressor can weigh you down and negatively affect many aspects of your life, like sleep, appetite, motivation, and your energy levels. 

    • Working with a therapist can provide you with new strategies to build your resilience, so that stress isn’t controlling your life.
    • See our directory to Find a Therapist near you.

    Trying to battle stress on your own often means ignoring and not properly addressing the root causes of your stress - that’s why it is crucial to reach out and seek support. You deserve it. 

    If you have connected with a therapist, but don’t feel like you are making progress

    Read more

    It’s important to bring up how you are doing with your therapist and let them know you are still struggling. 

    • Save or print your results to help start conversation about the things that are stressing you the most. This will help your therapist understand what you want to work on, so you can work together on these issues more explicitly.
    • For more information see our Guide to Therapy for Men and 13 Tips to Make the Most of Talk Therapy.

    NEXT STEPS:

    Find a TherapistTake Self CheckTips for Stress Management

    Things are looking pretty good

    Things seem manageable right now, but it’s important to continue checking in to monitor your health. 

    • Our Tips and Skills can help you work on key life skills that can greatly benefit your mental health (like how to improve your sleep habits, physical activity, social life, eating habits, and intimate relationships).
    • If you start to feel pulled down by stress, act early and reach out to a friend or family member.
    • Working with a therapist can be a great way to develop new and different strategies for managing stress. See our directory to Find a Therapist near you.

    NEXT STEPS:

    Take Self CheckTips for Stress Management

    We highly encourage you to save/print your responses to help track your progress or to bring to your doctor or specialists

    Come back and track your progress

    • The Stress Test can be used as a tool to track your progress and monitor how different stressors are affecting you. 

    Disclaimer

    The Stress Test is a proprietary tool created by HeadsUpGuys. It is not a screening tool for depression or anxiety, and is not meant to provide a diagnosis. 

    The Stress Test is designed to give you a general indication of how you are doing, and what areas of your life may need working on. 

    Privacy

    The Stress Test is anonymous and no personally identifying information is required. It includes an opt-in demographic section that helps inform our understanding of our visitors and the development of our content. 

    Contact information for our email newsletter (if you choose to opt-in) and your Stress Test responses are stored separately. See our terms, privacy, and conditions for more information.