Give Me a Break!

Dealing with Stress, Stepping out of your Comfort Zone

There’s no doubt about it: stress is one of the most common features of modern life. While it’s true that in the past, people were stressed too, the distinct characteristic of modern life, and what gives people these days even more tension than their ancestors is life’s complexity. When you think about it, the sheer number of choices facing people on a daily basis is jarring. From marriage and children careers and hobbies, we have more choices facing us than we can sometimes handle. The result is stress. So, how stressed are you? Care to know? Have a look at the following simple stress test to get an idea.

Stress Test

Answer each question using a number. When you complete the questionnaire, add up your total number of points. An answer key is provided below. Discuss the results.

1= Never True 2= Sometimes True 3= Often True 4= Always True


1. I try to do as much as I can in the time I have.
2. I dislike being interrupted and sometimes become irritable.
3. If I don’t win at games, I don’t really have a good time playing them.
4. I speed to get through intersections before the light turns red.
5. I don’t like to ask people for help on a problem.
6. The respect and admiration of others is very important to me.
7. I often check the time.
8. I look for ways of doing better and achieving more.
9. I don’t have enough time to do things I need to do.
10. I do more than one thing at a time.
11. I get angry or irritable.
12. I don’t spend time alone or have time to enjoy my hobbies.
13. I dislike talking with people who speak slowly.
14. I work at or near my limit.
15. My friends and relatives think I work at or near my limit.
16. I am involved in several projects at the same time.
17. I do most of my work to meet deadline.
18. If I am not doing something, I feel uneasy or guilty.
19. I take on too many responsibilities.
20. I am dissatisfied with the way other people do their work.

Answer Key
· If your score is between 20 and 30, chances are you are non-productive or your life lacks stimulation.
· A score between 31 and 50 indicates a good balance in your ability to handle and control stress.
· If you tallied up a score ranging between 51 and 60, your stress level is marginal and you are bordering on being excessively tense.
· If your total number of points exceeds 60, you may be candidate for heart disease.

Discussion:

1. Briefly describe your stress symptoms. Do you withdraw from people? Sleep more? Sleep less? Become irritable? Smoke more? Eat more? Experience muscle tension or pain? Get headaches?
2. What causes you the most stress? Family, relationships, work, colleagues, romance, personal issues?
3. How do you deal with your stress? Is it a healthy way to deal with it? Does your way of dealing with it lead to more stress?
4. What is the key to reducing stress in life? Exercise? Balance? Sleep?
5. Do you think that having some stress is a good thing? Why or why not?
6. Someone once said, “Having no stress is stressful.” What does this mean? Do you agree?
7. Korean workweeks are, on average, still longer than their counterparts in other countries. How does this affect you personally?
8. Have you participated in any physical activity to reduce your stress? How about yoga, tai chi, or meditation?
9. What is your perspective on drinking to relieve stress?
10. Does smoking really reduce stress? Why do so many people use stress as an excuse to smoke?
11. Which would you choose and why: a fast-paced, exciting, but stressful job in a large city or a relaxed, fulfilling, sometimes boring job in the country?
12. Koreans often describe themselves as the “hurry-up people.” Are you satisfied with the rushed lifestyle in Korea or would you like to see it become more relaxed? If you were suddenly President and could change something to make the country less stressful, what would you change? If you’re happy about the lifestyle, explain why?
13. The “hurry-up” mentality has caused some problems for Korea. Some say the collapse of both the Sam-poong Department Store and the Sung-soo Bridge are examples of this. What do you think?

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