THE FIVE MINUTE BEAT STRESS QUIZ FOR 2010
Print this stress test or note your choice for each of the ten questions on a separate piece of paper.
You should choose just ONE response for each question. The quiz takes about 5 minutes to take and score.
- Do you consider tensions and stress as an essential part of your life?
a) not at all
b) perhaps
c) definitely yes
- Which do you think is the best cure for lack of enthusiasm in any project or activity?
a) a sudden new incentive
b) a total change of course
c) a new gimmick
- When angered or roused, which do you usually do?
a) lash out at the cause
b) keep your feelings under close control
c) work them off in some other activity
- Which honestly causes you the most upset in an average day?
a) the major worries of life
b) other peoples actions
c) the inconsideration of others
- Are the weaknesses in your own personal relationships:
a) largely your own fault?
b) largely the faults of others?
c) six of one and half a dozen of the other?
- Do you find relaxation most beneficial:
a) before a major job is undertaken?
b) halfway through the task?
c) when it is completed?
- When you are faced with a thorny problem, do you usually:
a) sleep on it?
b) talk it over with someone?
c) just let it stew?
- Are you a procrastinator?
a) yes, very much so
b) sometimes
c) not really
- When things seem to be getting on top of you, do you find greatest relief in:
a) solitude?
b) mixing with jolly company?
c) going to bed?
- Can you honestly say you look forward to your evenings all through the week?
a) no
b) yes
c) only on occasion
Scoring The “How Much Stress Can You Take?" Quiz
SCORING POINTS AND COMMENTS
Question 1.
a) 0 b) 7 c) 10
According to the consultant/psychiatrist Dr. George S. Stevenson: “Tension is an essential function of living, just as hunger and thirst is. But excessive tension is bad. If one realized the good and the bad in tension, he is more likely to employ the good and control the bad."
Question 2.
a) 5 b) 10 c) 3
“Give in to your natural craving for variety," says Dr. Hans Selye, “for often it is nature’s way of safeguarding you from stress caused by sameness. It is through taking up some new interest, changing the routine of our lives, that we meet the vital need within ourselves for self-expression."
Question 3.
a) 4 b) 1 c) 10
“Work off your anger," advises Dr. George S. Stevenson, “If you feel like lashing out at someone who has provoked you, try holding off that impulse for a while. Meanwhile, use your pent-up energy in some physical activity."
Question 4.
a) 10 b) 0 c) 0
“Ask yourself how the myriad of minor irritations in life, many of them due to the inconsiderations of other people and all of which build up the day’s total of stress, really affect you, “counsels a doctor. “Are they important in your life? Do they actually affect you, or do they just make you fearful of what might happen? This sort of approach helps you reduce your problems to size. After you have noted the things that have an actual bearing on your life, can you eradicate the effect or nullify the probable effect? If so, do it!
Question 5.
a) 6 b) 3 c) 10
A welfare officer with long experience in employee relations states: “Bad personal relationships can only lead to the worst kind of stress: emotional stress. We have to live and work with others, so it’s only rational to do our best to get on right with them. Nobody’s perfect, there are always faults on both sides, but give the other fellow a break. Competition helps, but cooperation helps even more."
Question 6.
a) 10 b) 2 c) 8
Relaxation is beneficial at any time, but as Dr. James P. Hendrix points out: “Present day living is fraught with tensions and anxieties for many persons. When your workload seems overwhelming, remember that some things can almost always be set aside until later. Concentrate on one particular job. You will go faster, and you’ll be under less strain. Never spread yourself too thin by trying to do too many things at once."
Question 7.
a) 4 b) 10 c) 0
“If your problem could be settled by an expert in some field, go to him quickly and take his advice, says Dr. Austen Riggs, a psychologist convinced of the valuable therapy of talking things over. “Talking releases stress and strain, especially for the one too close to a situation to see it in the proper perspective, or in emotionally charged situations that may be hard to handle intelligently."
Question 8.
a) 0 b) 3 c) 10
“If you want to add to your stress", warns a psychiatrist, “Keep putting off decisions and actions. But action itself will always reduce mounting stress. Try the simple trick of writing down all of the tasks that face you, however unpleasant. Then rearrange them in order of urgency, allot a definite time to each – and get them done."
Question 9.
a) 10 b) 5 c) 2
As Dr. Stevenson points out: “Togetherness isn’t everything. Privacy is important for everyone too. Used right, solitude can reduce stress in every case."
Question 10.
a) 0 b) 10 c) 5
Keeping your evenings peaceful and happy is the best insurance against mounting stress and insomnia. Repeating advice he has often given, Dr. Selye says, “It is during the whole day that you must prepare for your dreams. For if you are subject to insomnia, whatever you do during the day, your next night’s sleep depends largely on how you do it. A stressful activity that has come to a definite stop prepares you for rest and sleep, but one which sets up self-maintaining tension keeps you awake."
EVALUATING YOUR SCORE
By David Gunston
- Start by totaling your ten scores. My “How Much Stress" score is ________
- If your score total came to 75 or more, out of a possible 100, you are obviously well equipped to handle any volume of stress coming your way.
- Any score below 75, however, suggests that you be aware of the rising level of stress in your life, and act accordingly to the advice given above.
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