Do You Pass the Stress Test?

Quiz

1. You've just finished a slew of important household chores. You:

  • Sit down in your favorite chair, lean back, and immediately feel all your muscles loosening up as you take a well-deserved rest.
  • Sit down in your favorite chair, with occasional pangs of guilt over the various things that you could still be doing, but remain determined to take a short rest.
  • Sit down in a chair, but almost immediately stand up again, realizing you left a couple of pieces of paper in the middle of the desk that really should go into the file cabinet.

2. Do you often feel irritable?

  • Your friends and family frequently remark that you seem to be "on edge."
  • Little things that your kids or friends do often annoy you, but you realize that you're irritable and keep your reactions under control.
  • Once in a while, but only after a very long day of unusually trying work or activities.

3. Do you worry about the little events of the day, and find that you are unable to shut off your mind?

  • You tend to dwell on certain things that you said or did wrong, kicking yourself for your stupidity or lack of finesse. You're constantly rerunning different scenarios in your mind for the way things could have gone.
  • When you're finished with the work or errands that you needed to get done during the day, you let them go easily and enjoy the rest of the evening.
  • You sometimes recall something that happened earlier and wish you had handled it differently, but such thoughts are fairly infrequent and don't disturb your moments of peace.

4. Do you smoke or drink excessively (especially by other people's standards)?

  • You'll have a glass of wine in the evening or a single cigarette as a night cap.
  • You find that it's only once you've got a very strong buzz on that you can finally manage to forget about the trials of the day. You light your next cigarette with the butt of the previous one, and seem to go through bottles of alcohol too quickly. Family members may have expressed some concern.
  • You need at least a couple of drinks or a few cigarettes to help you relax after a long day.

5. Are you competitive and aggressive?

  • Sometimes you catch yourself trying to wash dishes at a pace that keeps your spouse lagging behind in the drying. You find that if you have a passenger in your car, you vocalize your annoyance with other drivers.
  • You need to be the first one done with any task. You get annoyed if it takes you longer to do something than you think it should. You frequently use your car's horn and verbally abuse other drivers, even if there's no one else in the car to hear you.
  • A little competition helps give you some energy, but you don't look at every task as a chance to outshine others. It's annoying when someone cuts you off on the highway, but it's nothing to get upset about.

6. Do you find it hard to relate to people?

  • Not at all. People always find you empathetic and ready to listen. You often find yourself remembering a time when you experienced a situation similar to one being described to you.
  • Frequently. Other people's concerns just don't seem to relate to yours. You almost never go out, because social interaction is just too exhausting.
  • Sometimes. At those times, you find it easier just to stay home and have some personal time. Relating to others can be tiring after a long day.

7. Do you find yourself impatient with others?

  • Once in a while, of course. Nobody's perfect.
  • Sometimes. It frustrates you when people take so long to understand or pick up on things. You're often in a hurry, one way or another.
  • Your family and friends seem on tenterhooks around you. They struggle to keep up with your expectations, and you often have sharp responses for those who don't.

8. Do you eat quickly?

  • Yes. You're always sitting around waiting for everyone else to finish. Sometimes you'll even start clearing the table, just for something to do. Your family may feel the need for a chart displaying how to perform the Heimlich.
  • No, not really. You usually finish at the same time as others at the table, or after them.
  • Sometimes. You do tend to be one of the first at the table to finish eating, and you sometimes are done quite a bit before others.

9. Do you take on too much?

  • Occasionally you'll find yourself running around to keep up with your commitments. You don't like saying no, but you can if you have to.
  • You tend to keep things balanced. You know your limits. If someone asks you to do something and you don't have the time, you feel comfortable saying no.
  • You don't seem to be able to say no to others or yourself. Every small undertaking turns into a major project. You never have two minutes to yourself.

10. Do you have difficulty delegating?

  • What's "delegating"? Your motto is, if you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.
  • You like to do any truly important tasks yourself, but you do get others to help on smaller undertakings, when necessary.
  • Nope. Many hands make light work.

11. Do you have aching limbs, tense muscles, or recurrent headaches?

  • Only after a good workout. No headaches to speak of -- just the usual.
  • Yes, sometimes, during the week. You're definitely ready for bed by the end of the day.
  • You keep a constant supply of ibuprofen at hand. The top of your neck feels stiff as a rod, and sometime the pain is so bad that your vision goes black for a moment if you make a sudden movement.

12. Do you have a dry mouth and sweaty palms?

  • You keep breath mints handy, as well as some hand sanitizer, in case you have to meet new people.
  • Only if the water cooler at work is broken for a week.
  • You avoid shaking people's hands or standing too close to anyone. The strongest mints in the world don't help the desert of your oral cavity.

13. Do you feel a lack of interest in sex?

  • Your significant other has no real reason to complain. Everybody has those days.
  • You and your significant other might as well sleep in separate states. Sometimes you'll give in -- for a birthday, say, or a New Year's celebration.
  • Heck no! Bring it on!

14. Do you have problems sleeping?

  • No. You're usually asleep within a few minutes of closing your eyes, and you sleep through the night.
  • It takes a good deal of reading and then ten minutes or so after closing your eyes for you to drift off. Once in a while you'll wake up in the middle of the night.
  • You've counted sheep, blessings, and everything else imaginable, but it's not getting you anywhere. Maybe having your partner give you a good whack up-side the head would work....

1. You've just finished a slew of important household chores. You:
Sit down in a chair, but almost immediately stand up again, realizing you left a couple of pieces of paper in the middle of the desk that really should go into the file cabinet.

2. Do you often feel irritable?
Once in a while, but only after a very long day of unusually trying work or activities.

3. Do you worry about the little events of the day, and find that you are unable to shut off your mind?
You sometimes recall something that happened earlier and wish you had handled it differently, but such thoughts are fairly infrequent and don't disturb your moments of peace.

4. Do you smoke or drink excessively (especially by other people's standards)?
You need at least a couple of drinks or a few cigarettes to help you relax after a long day.

5. Are you competitive and aggressive?
A little competition helps give you some energy, but you don't look at every task as a chance to outshine others. It's annoying when someone cuts you off on the highway, but it's nothing to get upset about.

6. Do you find it hard to relate to people?
Sometimes. At those times, you find it easier just to stay home and have some personal time. Relating to others can be tiring after a long day.

7. Do you find yourself impatient with others?
Your family and friends seem on tenterhooks around you. They struggle to keep up with your expectations, and you often have sharp responses for those who don't.

8. Do you eat quickly?
Sometimes. You do tend to be one of the first at the table to finish eating, and you sometimes are done quite a bit before others.

9. Do you take on too much?
You don't seem to be able to say no to others or yourself. Every small undertaking turns into a major project. You never have two minutes to yourself.

10. Do you have difficulty delegating?
Nope. Many hands make light work.

11. Do you have aching limbs, tense muscles, or recurrent headaches?
You keep a constant supply of ibuprofen at hand. The top of your neck feels stiff as a rod, and sometime the pain is so bad that your vision goes black for a moment if you make a sudden movement.

12. Do you have a dry mouth and sweaty palms?
You avoid shaking people's hands or standing too close to anyone. The strongest mints in the world don't help the desert of your oral cavity.

13. Do you feel a lack of interest in sex?
Heck no! Bring it on!

14. Do you have problems sleeping?
You've counted sheep, blessings, and everything else imaginable, but it's not getting you anywhere. Maybe having your partner give you a good whack up-side the head would work....

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