Quiz: Is Your Body Seeking Simplicity?

Are there messages coming from your body and the way you are living in the right now that may be telling you that your life is not as simple as your body needs it to be, in order to maintain optimum health for all your cells?

Like the lights on your inner dashboard, there will certainly be indicators coming from your physical, mental, emotional or spiritual self, warning you that change is necessary.

Here is a test which will help you to recognize some of those warning signs. The author calls it the Sick Canary Test because the miners, in the old days, used to take a canary down the mine with them. If there were toxic fumes, the canaries would die, alerting the miners to evacuate immediately. Are you splitting off from your body and its needs, cycles, and rhythms? Take this test and see:

Score 2 points for each “yes” answer.

1. Do you watch TV because you are too tired to do anything else?

2. Do you get less sleep than you really need?

3. Do you skip meals because you are too busy to stop?

4. Do you feel overwhelmed by your tasks and obligations?

5. Do you ever need a stimulant, such as coffee, to get you through?

6. Do you ever curse your natural rhythms (your menstrual cycle, your “slumpy” time of day, your energy fluctuations)?

7. Do you turn to fast food and instant meals because you are too busy to cook?

8. Do you dread mid-life, menopause, old age, baldness, turning 50, drooping breasts?

9. Do you drive everywhere because there isn’t time to walk or catch a bus?

10. Do you tend to skimp on exercise or meditation whenever something urgent needs doing?

11. Do you find yourself saying “Hurry Up!” to your partner, your kids, your friends, your dog?

12. Do you feel a pressure in your chest or gut at traffic lights, in queues, waiting for things to download on your computer?

13. Do you go for hours without laughing?

14. – or without singing?

15. – or without stretching?

16. Do you postpone going to the toilet because you are busy with something else?

17. Do you forget to drink plenty of plain, filtered water as well as other drinks?

18. Do you suffer from tension headaches?

19. Do you go for days without cuddling another human or other live creature?

20. Do you spend more than two thirds of your waking hours indoors?

Scoring
0-10 = You’re doing well
11-20 = Check your priorities;
20-30 = You may be a sick canary;
30+ = It’s time to call the vet!

Millions of people in our industrialized, Western culture would score somewhere between 20 and 40 on this test. So if you, too, scored high, you are probably closer to our culture’s “normal” than someone living a really simple, healthy life.

If your score was high, you might consider starting a meditation, yoga, or stress management program. Or just do the opposite of everything you answered “yes” to!

Read more: Holistic Beauty, Life, Quizzes, Self-Help

Adapted from The Lilypad List, by Marian Van Eyk McCain (Findhorn 2004). Copyright (c) 2004 by Marian Van Eyk McCain. Reprinted by permission of Lantern Books.
Adapted from The Lilypad List, by Marian Van Eyk McCain (Findhorn 2004).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

4:49AM PST on Feb 2, 2012

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Pat T.

12:18PM PDT on Jul 6, 2010

It was very good to go over daily habits and regroup. I do have many things to do as does everyone and always reminding myself to do them with joy and conscious breathing. It is very helpful and relaxing.
Thanks for the Questions
pat

Past Member .

9:53PM PST on Dec 28, 2009

I think this kind of assessment of ourself once in a year is helpful in many ways. In our today's busy life it is very much important to keep ourself fit and stress free. I am glad to know my score and it is very good one also.

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Citlalli V.

1:10PM PDT on Oct 11, 2009

15. Sounds good, but it should be lower. I wish I was 16 again - best shape (mental, physical and emotional) I've been in my life.

Laura V.

6:41PM PST on Jan 21, 2008

Wow I am really surprised my score is actually better than I expected, as things at work are very stressful. I guess I have made strides in the past year. Last year I would most likely have scored in the 30s or 40s, no doubt.

6:38PM PST on Jan 21, 2008

Wow I was really surprised, I scored lower than expected. I guess I have made some great strides in the last year. Last Year I would have been up there in 30s for sure.

Michelle S.

7:05PM PST on Jan 16, 2008

oops, sorry - didn't think the first one went through!

7:04PM PST on Jan 16, 2008

Wow, I had only ONE NO comment. *sigh*...go figure. Guess I need to take more time out to smell the roses?

7:03PM PST on Jan 16, 2008

Wow, I had one NO answer...go figure. *sigh*...no wonder.

Desiree Y.

2:31PM PST on Jan 15, 2008

I knew that I've been stressed out lately before I took this, but I didn't realize how bad it was! Relaxation has to be a constant thing, not just something that I can do on the weekends... It's hard to absorb that.