Stress Management Questionnaire

Stress management is a phrase that is all too familiar to most of us in the 21st century. Having survived the dawning of the year 2000 and Y2K, we have created a lifestyle that puts far too many demands on us – and “demands” stress management.

* Our work is more demanding – and calls for stress management.
* Our home lives are more demanding, with children involved in multitudinous structured activities during time away from school – or playing expensive video/computer games.
* Even our leisure is more accelerated, more demanding. We have bought into the belief that leisure must involve fun, games, activity, acquisition, and expenditures. We must be entertained.

Within the author’s memory, people never talked about stress and stress management. They were satisfied to spend leisure sitting on the patio or deck reading a good book. Friends stopped by for conversation, not requiring food and entertainment. Children spent their time away from school running and playing – or devouring library books.

Stress is Your Response

We respond to unusual demands placed on us, and that response is stress. It may be beneficial stress (eustress), which makes us happy. It may be detrimental stress (distress), which causes anger, tension, and illness.

How do you respond? Do you need stress management to learn how to respond better?

Stress Management Questionnaire

This stress management questionnaire is about you and your responses to the demands made on you – stressors. Give each question a “yes” or “no” answer. Be honest in your answers if you sincerely want stress management.

1. Do you have the time you need to do work without interruption?

2. Do you have the time you want with your family each week?

3. Do you have the personal time you would like each day?

4. When you are interrupted at an activity, do you respond with anger?

5. When you are asked to do something unplanned, do you respond angrily?

6. When you are given an unexpectedly large project, do you get tense?

7. Do you respond in a positive manner when asked to do something for which you lack training?

8. Do you accept with a healthy attitude circumstances that cannot change?

9. Do you proactively respond with positive power to stressors?

10. Do you plan your life each day, and work out that plan?

Stress management goes much further than a simple stress management questionnaire, but your answers will give you an indication of where you stand right now.

In all probability, you answered “no” to questions 1 through 3. Many answered “yes” to questions 4 through 6. Most answered “no” to the remaining questions.

Correct Answers

With proper stress management, you should be able to answer “yes” to the first three questions, “no” to the next three, and “yes” to the last four.

If you are thinking that will take a lifetime of workshops in stress management techniques, relax. It takes no more than identifying the demands in your life, and planning how you will respond when you meet one of them. Then put your plan into action.