How Healthy Are You? Take This Quiz to Find Out

You and I know that we live in a high-tech world. We cope with problems, stress, and uncertainty on a daily basis. Even if your workplace, your home, and your neighborhood seem pretty safe and secure, just look at the plight of the wider world around us!

To cope with everything ultramodern, it helps to remember that we each have a body that has changed little since caveman times. To stay alert, smart, and healthy we must meet our bodies’ basic needs, which are low tech indeed.

Our bodies sustain and support our brains. It makes sense, then, to nurture and nourish the physical plant. The good news is that when you meet all or most of your body’s needs, it responds by enhancing your sense of well-being. You feel and look energized, optimistic, calm and relaxed. Your interpersonal relationships will improve, and so will your performance in all areas of your life.

To see how healthy you are, rate yourself on each of the following nine dimensions. Yes is worth one point. No is worth zero points.

I. Exercise

1. I get aerobic exercise 45 minutes or more four or five days per week

2. I get strength training several days a week (or I use a personal trainer for half an hour once a week and lift weights twice a week)

3. I sit for no more than an hour at a time without getting up and moving around

4. I engage in several forms of vigorous leisure activity each week

II. Nutrition & diet

5. I eat vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes daily

6. I avoid sugar and processed foods

7. I restrict my intake of dairy, alcohol, and caffeine

8. I eat meat only occasionally

9. I take vitamin supplements

III. Time spent in nature

10. I spend time walking in nature most weeks

11. I enjoy camping or gardening and get regular exercise outdoors

12. I observe birds and other wildlife

13. I live in harmony with the natural world

IV. Relationships

14. I am in regular contact with immediate family

15. I am in regular contact with extended family

16. I have close friends I’ve known for years

17. I have acquaintances from different areas of my life

18. I meet new people regularly

19. I socialize with people alone and in groups

V. Recreation

20. I engage in creative expression

21. I sometimes enjoy doing nothing

22. I enjoy trying new things just for fun

23. I do fun things with others and also when I am alone

24. I approach life with a sense of humor

VI. Relaxation & stress management

25. I meditate

26. I exercise to combat stress

27. I get enough sleep

28. I am kind to myself and my body

29. I balance work and play

30. I get support from other people

VII. Religion & spiritual life

31. I participate in a faith-based community

32. I believe in a higher power

33. I know what my values are, and I try to live by them

34. I believe that I am part of something larger

35. I forgive myself for my mistakes

36. I forgive others for their mistakes

VIII. Contribution & voluntary service

37. I volunteer my time for worthy causes

38. I share my skills with others

39. I try to make the world a better place

40. I mentor others who are younger or less experienced

IX. Life challenge

41. I view obstacles in my life as challenges

42. I set goals, review them daily, and strive to reach them

43. I have a life challenge that forces me to keep learning new things

A score of 35-43 is excellent. A score of 25-34 is good and should suggest some areas where you can do further work. If you score below 25, consider the possibility that accumulated stress and imbalances are contributing to your dissatisfaction, if any, with the quality of your life.

Because our lives change over time, and because we mature and age, we need to recalibrate ourselves constantly to stay healthy. It is never too late to start. Given the chance, your body and your mind will dazzle you with their strength, resilience, and capacity for growth.

How Healthy Are You? Take This Quiz to Find Out

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