1 - You wake up in the morning:

Leaping out of bed and ready to go. With difficulty and in no hurry to get started. Slowly and muttering at that damn' alarm clock.

2 - You come home at night completely worn out with three hours of work to do before you can go to bed:

You have a cup of coffee and a cigarette and go to work. You work even faster so as to finish more quickly. You lie down or take a nice hot bath - things will be better in the morning.

3. You suddenly feel tired in the middle of the day. What do you do?

You take a break, go to the toilet or have a glass of water or fruit juice. You have a cup of coffee or a cigarette. You turn to some other activity. You open the window for a breath of fresh air. You get angry because "the work is not going well".

4 - You listen to music:

After ten pm and/or loud music. On a Walkman while riding in the bus, to save time. I haven't got time to listen to music! Preferably classical music or background music.

5 - Your favorite drink is:

Beer, whiskey or soft drink. Canned or bottled fruit juice or wine. Water or fresh-squeezed fruit juice or fresh coconut juice.

6 - What is your aim in life?

I haven't the faintest idea. To avoid problems like cancer, unemployment, terrorism, famine. To make a lot of money so I can take dreamy vacations. To do something interesting and useful.

7 - What do you think about scientific progress and the future of mankind?

I am confident, and believe that good sense will overcome all obstacles. Things will go from bad to worse. I really don't care what happens. I suppose all the problems will be solved sooner or later.

8 - What do you think about the spirituality, life after death, the human mind?

That question is nonsense. I have confidence in specialists: priests and nuns take care of things like that. I am a practising religious person. I think it is more important to be well and happy and to make people around me happy, rather than to participate in formal religion.

9 - What would be your reaction to winning the big jackpot at the lottery?

I would go to bed, because it's been a hard day. I would throw a dinner party for friends and relatives at the best restaurant in town and then take everybody to a night club. I would wonder what the hell I am going to do with all that money.

10. You take tranquillizers and sleeping pills:

Never - I don't believe in them. Rarely - only when absolutely needed. I have some for when I need them. Regularly.

11 - You are in line to buy a train ticket, the train leaves in ten minutes and the line is not moving:

You grumble (out loud) at those imbeciles who never have the right change! Take it easy! it's still ten minutes until your train leaves. You light a cigarette to calm your nerves. You pass in front of other persons to the head of the line so as not to miss your train. You keep looking at your wristwatch.

12 - A member of your family was supposed to come to see you an hour ago; he hasn't showed up and his telephone doesn't answer:

You wait impatiently, twiddling your thumbs. You are worried. You take advantage of the free time to clean up some small bits of business. You frantically telephone everyone and everywhere trying to find out what happened.

13 - You have a violent headache at the end of the day:

You believe in heroic measures - you take a cold shower. You just take an aspirin. You lie down hoping that the headache will go away. You never have headaches.

14 - How do you feel about household chores, washing the dishes, etc.?

I like to do that! I like everything to be nice and clean! It's the least of my concerns. It has to be done, even if it's unpleasant. I never do the chores around the house - I haven't time.

15 - How much coffee do you drink?

1 cup a day. About 5 cups a day. I prefer to drink a glass of cold water or have a breath of fresh air.

16 - Suppose you live in a nice and safe village two kilometers away from your job, how would you get to work every day?

On foot or by bicycle. By public transportation. By car, it would save time. I hate transportation to go to work.

17 - How often do you eat meat ?

Three times a week or less. About once a day. At every meal.

18 - At a restaurant, if you have a choice, what do you have for the first course ?

Paté, roasted bacon or something with meat in it. A salad of raw vegetables. A bowl of soup.

19. Do you like sugar, pastry and sweet soft drinks? Of course, I love it all; and sugar provides muscular energy. So-so; I eat some from time to time, but not very often. I prefer fresh fruit and rarely touch food like that; it's not very healthy. I'm a specialist. I love it's among my favorite food.

20 - Thought and action: is it your style:

To think a little and to act a lot? To think a lot and to act a lot? To think a little and to act a little? To think a lot and to act a little?

21 - Overall, what do you think of your life?

My life is OK. My life is wonderful and full of good surprises ! My life is rather sad. My life is full of lies, sad stories, and disappointments.

22 - In your day to day activities - study, work, household chores :

you are enthusiastic and you do your best. You do what you have to do, but you would prefer to be doing something more interesting.

23 - When do you go to bed at night?

When you get sleepy. Rather early, and at about the same time every night. Rather late, when I have finished my work. At variable hours: I don't have a regular bed time schedule.

24 - How much fruit do you eat?

At every meal, and all kinds of fruit, including exotic fruit. One piece of fruit a day. I rarely eat fruit.

25 - About your health in general:

I am always in good shape and never ill. I am often tired and depressed. Some days are good and some days are bad. I am usually in good shape, but sometimes a little sickness or fatigue, especially in winter.

RESULTS OF THE TEST :   Your level of undesirable stress is : points out of 250 The lower this stress score is, the better ! The scale runs from zero (no undesirable stress) to 250 points (highly stressed). Your level of energy and vitality is : points out of 230. The higher this score is, the better ! In general, the higher one's stress, the less one is vigorous, lively, happy, and efficient in his activities. But there are exceptions: some people can be very stressed and quite energetic at the same time: but this is an unstable state because one may then expect to rapidly burn out his energy reserves and damage his health. The following scores will give you more precise indications on the most frequent deep causes of stress in the modern world (inadequate nutrition, disrespect of biological rhythms, negative psychological attitude) which you may possibly act upon in order to improve your life, strengthen your health, and increase your vigor and general well being. Nourishment score : points out of 60. Eating better will increase your score and your vigor. Inadequate nourishment is a profound cause of stress, but its effect is in general under-estimated. Eat a varied diet and pay especial attention to how much your diet consists of bread, cheese, canned food, fast food and other industrial or manufactured food - eat more fresh fruit, fish, and vegetables instead. Drink less coffee and other stimulating beverages such as tea and soda, and eat less pastry and other sweets. Discover the many benefits of a more natural way of eating for your health and well-being ! Respect of your biological rhythms : points out of 90. A good score indicates that you are paying attention to your biological rhythm of work and rest, an important factor for a balanced life and better vigor. A lower score indicates that you would do well to watch and respect your biological rhythm more carefully. Discover the beneficial effects of the siesta (take a nap from time to time) and learn how to relax! Your psychological attitude towards life : points out of 60. The higher your score, the more positive is your outlook on life. That reduces your susceptibility to stress. A lower score suggests that you ought to be more optimistic, give more meaning to your life, and think more positively. In other words, look at the good side of things ! Suggest to your friends, to your stressed-out colleagues, and to your loved ones to take this test and compare their results to yours! To repeat the test, or to let someone else take it, just answer all the questions again. The new results will be displayed automatically.

This test has been developed by the Institute Bruno Comby (IBC), scientific research institute for the promotion of public health. It's object is to reveal to you some aspects of your life which you perhaps might improve to obtain a significant upheaval in your level of health, performance and well-being.

The above test is extracted from the book "Stress-Control" first published in 1988.. It is a practical guide to minimize your stress level.

You can also learn to measure and control your stress with the STRESSOMETER instrument measuring tremor of the nervous system at rest (TNR) which increases with adrenaline (stress hormone). This microscopic trembling (amplitude of only a few microns) can be measured precisely with a very sensitive human seismograph. This instrument making stress measurable has been developed by the IBC and is distributed by TNR TECHNOLOGY.

Two versions of the STRESSOMETER are available :
- ADTM PP (computer version teemed with TNR ANALYSIS software).
- ADTM 60 (portable version).