PERSONALITY CLUES FOR TEENAGERS

Have you ever wondered how your personality traits might determine the choices you make or how these traits affect your satisfaction with your choices? Here's your chance to find out. Read the following scenarios and tick the one that best describes you.

Scenario 1

............................. I feel bored most of the time. Every night before bed, I look at my calendar and start feeling anxious, and I hate the next day. I have insomnia most nights, just thinking about all the things I have to do. I don’t feel energetic to do all the things at school and home, and I don’t have time, either. I really want to spend more time alone listening to my iPod, working on an art project or doing yoga in my bedroom. However, every day, I wake up to an annoying alarm clock that reminds me I have more classes, homework, club meetings and too many obligations to family and friends. Why didn't someone warn me to take it easy and make better choices? I constantly feel stressed out.

Scenario 2

............................. I wake up ready to do everything that I can. I love hanging out with friends, going to club meetings and doing team sports. I have time for everything. I can manage my school work, sports team and friends all at once. Usually, I'm calm and rarely overreact when life gets crazy. Alone time? Who needs it? If there's ever a person who needs some help, I volunteer. If I'm in a club, I want to be the leader. I love being busy, with many commitments and much action.

Are you a stress-sensitive teen?

If you identified with Scenario 1, you may be a stress-sensitive teen who reacts quickly to the pressures of life. If someone upsets you, it may take you a longer time to recover than your more stress-tolerant friends. Stress-sensitive teens get highly anxious when they have too many commitments and have great difficulty in making decisions. They strongly react to challenges in life and may have physical symptoms such as headaches, difficulty sleeping, or stomach aches because they internalize tension. Doctors recommend that stress-sensitive teens should spend time understanding themselves so they can adapt themselves to their commitments. Once they feel stressed, they may try to deal with stress in unhealthy ways, with eating disorders, smoking or other dangerous behaviours. Many stress-sensitive teens risk suffering depression, and this is not good for health.

Are you a stress-tolerant teen?

If you identified with Scenario 2, you are probably more stress-tolerant. These teens deal with life's pressures in a cool manner. Nothing seems to make them negative. They handle disappointments and frustrating situations just as they handle exciting times – with emotional balance. Stress-tolerant teens rarely get upset or nervous, and when they do, they forget it the next day and are ready to take on more challenges.

The most important thing is to know who you are. It makes you feel better if you know what makes you feel satisfied, and what makes you feel stressed out. Understand your limits before you take on one more commitment or project. The more aware you are of your stress style, whether sensitive or tolerant, the better able you'll be to find your special interests and feel successful with healthy choices.