WELLNESS QUIZ

Your wellness quotient estimate:

Before you begin the questionnaire, estimate your current wellness quotient (your current overall level of wellness) on a scale of 100, and write it on the line above. Then compare it to the total after you answer the questions. Enter one number for each question, using the scale of 1–5 below in terms of the degree to which a state¬ment is true of you. If something is never true, just leave it blank or enter a zero. After answering all the questions, add your score. The total is your current “wellness quotient.” See note below regarding our view of how to understand and use this score.

Scoring system:
1 Not usually true
2 Sometimes true
3 Maybe/can’t decide
4 Usually true of me
5 Always true

__1. I enjoy a good laugh or good humor.
__2. I exercise my mind by engaging in creative activity or problem solving.
__3. I try to manage my stress instead of letting it manage me.
__4. I get enough sleep and exercise.
__5. I eat and drink healthy things, do not use tobacco, and use alcohol in moderation or not at all.
__6. I avoid fad diets.
__7. I try to keep my living environment as healthy as possible.
__8. I monitor my health via various means, including regular medical and dental checkups.
__9. I have at least one friend in whom I can confide.
__10. I am satisfied with what I have and am thankful for it.
__11. I find pleasure (or a sense of satisfaction) in my work.
__12. I value my family relationships and try to protect them through faithfulness and reconciliation.
__13. I have a sense of purpose, direction, and meaning in life.
__14. I am a generous and kind person, concerned for those in need (humans and/or animals).
__15. I work with others to achieve more cooperatively than we might achieve individually.
__16. I am a happy and optimistic person, savoring life in the present tense.
__17. My faith in God brings a sense of peace and helps me during times of adversity.
__18. I engage in religious activities such as prayer, Bible study, devotional reading, or worship.
__19. I have accepted my own mortality—knowing that I will someday die.
__20. I have hope, not only in the present tense, but also a hope of eternal life when this life is over.

Total: My wellness quotient today is: ____________ Date: __________________

Note: This is not a scientific questionnaire, just twenty questions related to wellness. We have observed that people with a score of less than 70 realize that there is room for improvement, and we hope the information in our book Simple Health will help them make those changes. People with scores of 70–80 have a healthy level of perceived wellness, though there is still room for improvement. People with scores of 80–90 are likely enjoying optimum wellness, while they are also most likely lifelong learners and pursuers of good health. Scores higher than 90 suggest that the individuals involved might benefit by closely reexamining the areas they scored as always true of them, with a view toward whether or not their perception is overly optimistic. Sometimes a trusted friend who knows you well can help with this.

Excerpted from Simple Health by David B. Biebel, DMin, and Harold G. Koenig, MD
Published by Siloam (A Strang Company) 600 Rinehart Road; Lake Mary, Florida 32746
This excerpt may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. Copyright © 2005 by David B. Biebel, DMin, and Harold G. Koenig, MD. All rights reserved.