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How do you rate on the stress barometer? Do you go up like a volcano the minute you are crossed? Or do you read a book through an earthquake? 1Your man
has just walked out on you. Do you: a) Feel so
inferior you tense yourself up, cut yourself off and feel you never
want to see a man again b) Besiege
his office with cards, letters and telephone messages imploring
him to return c) Try to convince
yourself that it is lovely to be able to please yourself d) Go out with several interesting men reasoning you are not ready to commit yourself deeply yet. 2You are
the leading light at the local slimmers' club, candidate for model
slimmer of the year. You slip up and go on a binge. Do you: a) Lie awake
all night, worrying about what the others will say b) Cut the
next meeting or two until you're back to your ideal weight c) Starve yourself
for the next few days d) Rationally say that everyone's human. 3Your partner
calls you late in the afternoon to tell you he is bringing his boss
and wife home for dinner. Do you: a) Lose your
cool and tell him you can't do anything about it - it was totally
thoughtless of him to invite them b) Rush out
to the supermarket and buy easy-to-prepare but expensive food c) Make what
you two were going to eat stretch to four and appeal to their under-standing
of the situation d) Suggest that you all go out to eat or make it another night. 4You are
walking along a dark and rather lonely street and you hear foot-steps
behind you. Do you: a) Immediately
assume it is a rapist and run b) Produce
your self defence outfit which you always carry with you c) Continue
to walk at the same pace but look out for a passerby or somewhere
to dodge into d) Turn around and confront whoever it is. 5You have
arrived at a strange destination where someone has promised to meet
you but there is no sign of them. Do you: a) Stand there,
worrying whether you've made a mistake about date, time or place b) Panic and
rush around from one side of the station to another in case there
is a second entrance c) Call a taxi
and go to the venue to which they were supposed to accompany you d) Sit tight,
reasoning that something may have happened and they're late. 6Your partner
is impossibly moody and often doesn't talk to you. Do you: a) Develop
an ulcer from keeping yourself quiet b) Threaten
to leave him if he doesn't reform c) Ignore his
silence and talk at him d) Leave him
and start a new life. 7Your rather
cuddly man is getting decidedly overweight. You have to pretend
you find him physically attractive but you don't - and you feel
tense and het up. Do you: a) Be unforthcoming
to his advances without telling him why b) Hint by
expressing admiration for photographs of slim attractive men c) Tell him
about the health risks d) Drop all
pretence - tell him it's a big turn-off. 8You have
borrowed your partner's car without his knowledge. You are involved
in a slight accident leaving you slightly shaken and a deep scratch
on the car's bonnet. Do you: a) Become hysterical b) Telephone
your partner and tell him what has happened c) Take it
home and just hope he doesn't notice e) Try to find
a garage that will camouflage it until you can cool him down. 9.On a blind
first date, the guy apparently expects dinner to be the prelude
to something more. Do you: a) Slap him
in the face and march out of the restaurant b) Bluster
and redden and tell him you're not that sort of girl c) Pass it
off, suggest another date, procrastinate d) Excuse yourself,
go to the Ladies', and leave by the side exit. 10You are
babysitting for some friends and their offspring, declared to be
the most tranquil child in the world, starts to cry. Do you: a) Immediately
telephone the emergency number given to you by the parents b) Start rushing
up and down the stairs, making yourself a nervous wreck c) Bring the
child downstairs and bribe him with chocolate or toys d) Let him
cry for a while and see if he drops off to sleep. 11You are
aware of the dreadful things happening in world affairs - threat
of nuclear war, cruelty to animals. Do you: a) Read everything
on the subject you can lay your hands on and become very depressed,
brooding about it all b) Join a protest
group and break in to establishments c) Try to turn
a blind eye and not read anything d) Write to
organisations and give your support. 12You and
this guy have been together for a year now. You've talked a lot
about marriage but you know his family do not approve of you. Do
you: a) Try to change
his family's attitudes b) Encourage
him to break all ties, ignore his family in favour of you c) Introduce
some competition into the situation d) Drop any
conversation about marriage and see if he mentions it. 13You discover
your partner has been seeing another woman. After discussing it
with him, he promises to give her up. But he's not the same and
you are worried, wondering if he is still seeing her secretly. Do
you: a) Keep your
feelings hidden but spy on him to see if you can catch him out b) Try to pay
him back by going out with someone yourself c) Don't tell
him your fears but try to make life as pleasant as possible d) Tell him
exactly how you feel. 14Your hairdresser
suggests you try a new hairstyle. You agree but when he's finished,
it is much shorter than you had imagined Do you: a) Stay indoors
until it's grown b) Go berserk
and give your stylist a telling off c) Never go
back to that hairdresser again d) Laugh it
off, saying you must be the oldest punk in Blankville but maybe
he could moderate things next time. 15You have
been slaving over a hot stove for hours preparing a super meal.
Your partner is late and the dinner burnt. Do you: a) Never let
him forget it, keep on about it for hours until he begs forgiveness b) Throw the
dinner at him, probably saying words you don't mean c) Sulk for
hours, feeling used and taken for granted d) Say nothing,
act cool, and get him to take you to the most expensive restaurant. 16Your partner
suggests you should economise on the food budget and, when you do,
he complains at every meal. Do you: a) Refuse to
do any more shopping or cooking for him until he comes round to
the reality of the situation b) Say that
he can do the shopping next week and see if he can do any better c) Say nothing
but inside feel hurt after all your efforts at economising d) Sit him down, write out the food prices and explain that to economise you have to buy cheaper food. How to score For every a)
- 10 points 120-160: You're
rather like Etna! Your reaction to stress is to keep it all bottled
up inside you, brooding over life's injustices and situations where
you don't believe you can cope. But the pressure builds up and sooner
or later it erupts. This kind of reaction to stress might be better
for those around you but it is no good to you. 80-120: Your
rating never creeps so high on the stress barometer because you
boil up and over at the first sign of tension or a problematical
situation. Your reaction
takes no account of those around you who will soon be candidates
for the stress barometer themselves if they keep your company. 40-80: You're
obviously aware of what stress can do and never allow that needle
to creep up too far on the barometer. Your problem
is that you have a tendency to deal with pressures with a head in
the sand approach - ignore it and it will go away. Unfortunately
this is often not the case. Below 40: If
a hurricane swept your house away you would probably continue to
read a book. Your admirable, slightly off-hand way of dealing with
steamy situations reveals a rational mind. Anyone would
be happy to have you around in an emergency. |
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