Health & Wellness
Stress Management Quiz
Cortisol, vagus nerve, mindfulness — what works for chronic stress
Cortisol, vagus nerve, mindfulness — what works for chronic stress
Heart rate variability — the variation in time between heartbeats — is a biomarker for stress resilience: higher HRV means better recovery from stress. The science of stress has come a long way from Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome and Walter Cannon's "fight or flight" to modern work on the HPA axis, vagus nerve tone, and mindfulness-based interventions. This quiz covers cortisol, the autonomic nervous system, and what really works for chronic stress and burnout.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore the HPA axis and cortisol, the vagus nerve and HRV, the Yerkes-Dodson curve, MBSR, CBT and ACT, breathing techniques like 4-7-8 and box breathing, the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and the WHO definition of burnout.
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex in response to ACTH from the pituitary. It mobilizes glucose, modulates immunity, and follows a daily rhythm — peaking shortly after waking and falling overnight.
The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and the main highway of the parasympathetic ('rest and digest') nervous system, innervating the heart, lungs, and gut. Higher vagal tone is associated with better stress recovery.
Regular physical exercise — about 150 minutes per week of moderate activity — has the strongest evidence base for reducing chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, and improving sleep and HRV.
Last updated: May 2026