TAKE THE QUIZ NOW
Choose the option that best describes how you tend to operate — especially when life is stressful or you're not feeling your best.
1. When you wake up in the morning, how does your body and mind usually feel?
A. Mind already racing, tension in my jaw or chest, and I often feel like I’m already “behind” before the day starts.
B. Alert and ready to go, but I immediately think about what needs to get done. I push past any tiredness with caffeine or grit.
C. Heavy, foggy, or slow to start — I need time, warmth, and space to really feel present.
2. How do you typically respond to unexpected stress or change in routine?
A. I get anxious, jittery, or overwhelmed. I start multitasking or overthinking, and my jaw often clenches without me realizing.
B. I shift into high gear — I take control, get focused, and try to solve it. But I can get impatient or reactive with others.
C. I freeze, withdraw, or delay action. I might procrastinate or need alone time before I can think clearly.
3. How does your jaw or neck tension usually show up throughout the day?
A. Subtle but constant — like a background hum of clenching or tightness, especially when I’m concentrating or anxious.
B. Strong, focused clenching or jaw tension when I’m in go-mode, under pressure, or trying to meet deadlines.
C. Dull ache or stiffness that builds over time, especially after long periods of sitting, scrolling, or not moving much.
4. What role does the environment play in how you feel?
A. I’m very sensitive to noise, lights, busy spaces, and temperature changes — I can get overstimulated or unsettled quickly.
B. I can handle almost any environment if I’m in control or on task, but I get frustrated when others disrupt my flow.
C. I’m most comfortable in quiet, cozy, familiar settings — too much stimulation or unpredictability makes me shut down.
5. How does weather or season affect your mood, energy, or jaw pain?
A. I feel most unsettled in windy, dry, or cold seasons like autumn and early winter. I get jumpy, scattered, anxious, and my jaw and neck often feel tight or twitchy. Sudden weather shifts really throw me off.
B. I’m most aggravated by hot, intense, or humid weather, especially in summer. I feel irritable, easily overheated, and my pain often feels burning or inflamed, especially when I’m pushing hard.
C. I feel worst in cold, damp, grey seasons like late winter or early spring. I get sluggish, heavy, low in mood, and my pain tends to be a deep ache or stiffness, especially if I haven’t moved much.
6. What is your relationship with exercise or movement?
A. I tend to jump between intense activity and full rest. I often feel wired after exercise instead of calm.
B. I like structured, purposeful workouts. I push myself, sometimes too far, and don’t always know when to stop.
C. I prefer gentle, slow movement — walking, stretching, or yoga. If I overdo it, I crash hard and take longer to recover.
7. What happens in your digestion when you're stressed or overloaded?
A. I get bloated, gassy, or constipated easily. It’s like my gut is hyper-sensitive to everything.
B. I feel heat, acid, or reflux. My hunger is erratic — either ravenous or totally gone.
C. My digestion slows right down. I feel full easily, sluggish, and unmotivated to eat healthy food.
8. What’s your mental self-talk like during tough times?
A. “Why can’t I just calm down?” “What’s wrong with me?” I tend to spiral or second-guess everything.
B. “I need to push through.” “I don’t have time to rest.” I get critical of myself for not doing more.
C. “What’s the point?” “I’ll deal with it later.” I feel flat or detached, like I just can’t be bothered.
9. How do you typically rest and reset after a stressful week?
A. I find it hard to truly relax. Even when I stop, my mind and body stay buzzy.
B. I stay active — clean, fix, work out — then maybe crash later. It’s hard for me to let go unless I’ve earned it.
C. I unplug, nap, eat comfort food, or go into hibernation mode — sometimes I get stuck there longer than I’d like.
🧠 Scoring:
Count how many A, B, and C responses you chose.
Your dominant letter reveals your stress reactivity profile:
🔷 Mostly A = “Fast & Frazzled”
Intuitive, sensitive, and quick to pick up on stress — but easily overstimulated or ungrounded.
Focus on: creating rhythm, breath-led movement, warmth, and space to slow down.
🔴 Mostly B = “Driven & Fiery”
Strong-willed, focused, and high capacity — but tends to push too far and ignore warning signs.
Focus on: pacing, softening, recovery rituals, and knowing that “less” can still be powerful.
🟤 Mostly C = “Grounded & Stuck”
Calm and steady under pressure — but stress leads to inertia, stagnation, or emotional withdrawal.
Focus on: gentle activation, circulation, daily structure, and re-engaging joyfully with your body.
⚖️ Mixed Types
If your answers are evenly split, you may shift between types depending on stress level, sleep, life season, or environment. You’ll still benefit from tracking your dominant tendencies and supporting your system accordingly.
Where These Stress Patterns Came From
I created these patterns after years of working with people experiencing persistent jaw pain, clenching, neck tension, and stress-related symptoms — and after facing those same challenges myself.
Through my work as a physiotherapist, I began noticing that people responded to stress in consistent, predictable ways. These patterns showed up in their posture, breathing, energy levels, digestion, sleep, and how their jaw pain behaved over time.
But it wasn’t just clinical work that shaped this approach.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve travelled across the world — learning from different healing traditions in India, Peru, New Zealand, Nepal, and the USA. What I found was that many ancient systems recognized these same patterns — not as weaknesses, but as inherent physiological tendencies that simply need the right kind of support.
This quiz is a way of translating that deep, global wisdom into a simple, actionable tool.
It helps you understand your unique stress response — so you can finally work with your body instead of against it.