The Simple Self-Test for Stress · Fit 'n Healthy Forever

Rheece Hartte

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The Simple Self-Test for Stress

The Simple Self-Test That Tells You How Well Your Body Handles Stress (and Why It Even Matters)

Most people think their energy, anxiety, dizziness, or fatigue means something is “wrong” with them.

Often, what’s actually happening is much simpler.

Your nervous system isn’t adapting well to demand.

And one of the easiest ways to see that is how your body responds when you go from lying down to standing up.

This is not an “adrenal test.”It’s a nervous system and circulation test.

It gives you powerful insight into how well your body handles stress, posture, hydration, and recovery.

Here’s how to do it safely and what it means.

The Orthostatic Pulse Test (at home)

This simple test looks at how your heart and nervous system respond to gravity.

Step-by-step

Lie down quietly for 5 minutes. Relax.
Measure your pulse (beats per minute, neck or wrist).
Stand up.
Measure your pulse at-

30 seconds
1 minute
3 minutes

Write the numbers down.

When you stand up, gravity pulls blood into your legs.

Your nervous system should-

Gently tighten blood vessels
Slightly increase heart rate
Maintain blood flow to your brain (not dizzy)

Normal pattern

Heart rate rises about 10-20 beats per minute
Then stabilizes or comes slightly back down
No dizziness, lightheadedness, or weakness

This shows a flexible, responsive nervous system.

Patterns that suggest dysregulation that are not diagnoses. They are just signals.

Large heart rate jump?

If your heart rate jumps more than 30 beats per minute and stays elevated, it can suggest-

Low blood volume (not enough fluids or electrolytes)
High nervous system stress
Poor autonomic regulation

Dizziness or faint feeling upon standing?

This suggests-

Poor blood vessel constriction
Low volume
Or nervous system instability

Very flat response (little or no change)?

This can suggest-

Blunted sympathetic nervous system response
Chronic stress adaptation
Burnout-type physiology

Again, nothing “bad,” just informative.

Why does it matter at all then?

Your ability to adapt to posture mirrors your ability to adapt to life.

The same system that-

Keeps blood in your brain when you stand
Regulates your heart rate
Adjusts vessel tone

…is the same system that regulates -

Stress hormones
Energy production
Emotional reactivity
Sleep depth
Recovery

So when this system is strained, you may feel-

Wired but tired
Anxious or foggy
Lightheaded or weak
Unable to tolerate workouts or fasting
Easily overwhelmed

This test helps you see that objectively, instead of guessing.

What helps improve this?

At FitnHealthy Forever - we don’t fix this by pushing harder.

We improve it by supporting regulation- SWERPSS to the rescue - AGAIN!

Hydration and electrolytes
Adequate protein and minerals
Sleep and circadian rhythm
Gentle movement, walking, proper resistance training
Breathing and nervous system calming
Reducing chronic overreach or Stress such as dieting (overtraining, under eating)

This is exactly what the FitnHealthy approach is built around.

This test teaches you how your body is responding and gives you a way to track improvement over time.

Your nervous system is not broken.

It’s communicating.

What's your body saying?

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