My Personal Stress Test
The purpose of this exercise is NOT to see how many you can get right. Indeed, that would be stressful (there is no answer key). Rather, the purpose of completing this ‘test’ is to help you think about how stress may be affecting your life. Once you begin to understand the physical and emotional symptoms of stress, and how that stress can affect the way you think and feel about yourself and your life, then you can start to analyze what to do about it.
This is not to say that you have to change what you do or who you are - we are all individuals and must make our own decisions about our own happiness. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to live your life – so long as you take personal responsibility for your own actions and happiness. However, sometimes other people and sources can help you listen to your own needs, and help you in the lifelong process of self-discovery and in the pursuit of true happiness.
For this ‘test’, all you have to do is read the questions and answer them honestly. If you choose, talk about your answers with those who care about you.
- Do you move, walk, and eat rapidly?
- Are you frequently impatient with the pace of other people?
- Do you try to hurry them up when they talk by repeating, “Yes, yes, yes,” or by trying to finish their sentences for them?
- Do you frequently try to do several things at once? Such as work on something and talk on the phone and eat lunch and write a letter?
- Do you often feel guilty about doing nothing for a period of time?
- Do you take little time and pleasure in observing your surroundings (the weather, a sunset, other people)?
- Do you frequently feel pressed for time, and feel others prevent you from meeting self-imposed deadlines?
- Do you often adopt physical gestures that suggest that you are at war with yourself?
- Do you believe your success is largely a result of your ability to do things faster than other people?
- Do you lack a regular daily exercise program that you follow?
- Do you have times when you feel you are in a pressure cooker? Do you let things build up inside?
- Do you frequently have times when little things get to you, when you feel especially irritable?
- Have you experienced recent change in habits, such as: difficulty in falling asleep, loss of appetite, increase in smoking or drinking, feeling unusually fatigued, gains or loss of weight?
- Do you frequently find yourself thinking excessively about an upcoming appointment or event, anticipation of possible problems?
- Do you often expect the worst to happen in hopes you’ll be wrong?
- Do you frequently get so absorbed in thoughts, you can’t remember what you ate or what your friends, or family said to you?
- Do you frequently feel guilty about the amount of time you spend with your family?
- Are you frequently concerned about your health, or that of a family member?
- Are you often concerned about the stability and growth of your marriage?
- Do you frequently experience headaches, stomach aches, rapid and shallow breathing, a fluttering heart?
Reference:
Richard M. Suenn, PhD. Ray Rosenman. Type A Behavior and Your Heart
