Paul Wilson

Feeling stressed? Is that normal?

The stress-relief industry is a huge, multi-billion-dollar industry with a vested interest in having you believe that it is abnormal to feel stressed from time to time. But it's not!

Everyone feels under pressure at one time or another. Perhaps several times a day. That's life in the the modern world.

It's not ideal. It's not productive. And it's not necessary. But it is normal, and accepting that fact is the first step in ensuring that so-called ‘stress conditions' are not debilitating and do not become habitual.

So, where do you fit into all this? Do you suffer from specific symptoms of stress? Is it habitual or occasional? Is it good or bad? Are you the stressful type (if there is such a thing)? What are the causes of your tension? Do you recognise them?

Psychologists sometimes refer to the Theory of Self-Perception, which says we generally make the same errors in assessing our own behaviour and personality, as we do when we try to assess others. In other words, we're not very good at working out what drives us, or what causes our individual problems.

Blaming this Theory of Self-Perception, however, will not make you feel better. Maybe it would help to determine the areas where you are most at risk and, if necessary, to take corrective action. When it comes to stress, there are well-defined warning signs, most of which are pretty easy to recognise.

Following are some ways of recognising these.

But, before we go any further into these tests, there is one small test we require you to undertake.....

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