how resistant are you to stress? |
Your daily habits and personal characteristics greatly affect the way you tolerate stress. Factors such as what you eat, whether you smoke, and how much you exercise can increase or decrease your resistance to stress. Many other ingredients also come into play. The following test, developed by Boston University psychologists Lyle Miller and Alma Dell Smith, takes many of these into account and should help you to assess how effective you are at protecting yourself from stress.
Read the statements below and assign each a score from one to five, depending on how strongly it applies to you. One point - almost always; two points - fairly often; three points - sometimes; four points - rarely; five points - never.
| ___ | 1. I eat at least one hot, balanced meal a day. |
| ___ | 2. I sleep seven to eight hours at least four nights a week. |
| ___ | 3. I give and receive affection regularly. |
| ___ | 4. I have at least one relative within 50 miles on whom I can rely. |
| ___ | 5. I exercise to the point of perspiration at least twice a week. |
| ___ | 6. I smoke fewer than 10 cigarettes a day. |
| ___ | 7. I consume fewer than five alcoholic drinks a week. |
| ___ | 8. I am the appropriate weight for my height. |
| ___ | 9. I have an income adequate to meet my basic expenses. |
| ___ | 10. I get strength from my religious beliefs. |
| ___ | 11. I regularly attend a club or social activities. |
| ___ | 12. I have a network of friends and acquaintances. |
| ___ | 13. I have one or more friends to confide in about personal matters. |
| ___ | 14. I am in good health (including eyesight, hearing, teeth). |
| ___ | 15. I am able to speak openly about my feelings when angry or worried. |
| ___ | 16. I communicate regularly with the people I live with about chores, money and daily living issues. |
| ___ | 17. I do something for fun at least once a week. |
| ___ | 18. I am able to organize my time effectively. |
| ___ | 19. I drink fewer than three cups of caffeine-containing beverages a day. |
| ___ | 20. I take quiet time for myself each day. |
How Resistant Are You?
To determine your score, add up your points and subtract 20. For example, if your total number of points is 87, subtract 20 to find out your stress resistance score - 67.
If your score is less than 30, congratulations! You are doing a good job of protecting yourself from the stress in your life. If your score is between 30 and 40, you may be vulnerable to stress. If your score is between 50 and 75, you may be seriously vulnerable to stress and should look for ways to reduce your susceptibility. If your score is above 75, you may be extremely vulnerable and should take measures immediately to protect yourself from the stresses of life.
There are many ways to increase your resistance to stress. Review the questionnaire to see which areas, if strengthened, could give you added protection against the health risks of excessive stress.
