Why Are You So Worried?

How you manage your anxieties can have a big impact on your life Take our quiz to find your worry personality and how to be stress-free

Every day, 38% of people worry and many of them describe themselves as chronic worriers,’ says Dr Robert Leahy, author of The Worry Cure (£10.99, Piatkus). The problem starts, he says, when you worry too much, or about the wrong things or you don’t deal with your worries effectively. But you can learn to change your patterns – the solutions to our quiz will help you find out how.

The quiz

1 Your boss says she wants to have a meeting with you later in the week. How do you react? 

a You immediately assume you’ve done something wrong and fret about it for the next few days.

b You put it out of your mind by going for drinks with colleagues that night.

c You get on with your work, but notice yourself worrying about the meeting when you’re tired. d You think, ‘Great! I’m getting a pay rise.’

2 Your friend’s really worrying about something – how do you deal with her?

a You feel a bit impatient. She’s fretting about something that probably won’t happen.

b Empathise with how anxious she is.

c Try to shut out your own stress while you speak to her. d Change the subject.

3 Your child is sick, you’ve crashed your car and work’s extremely busy. How are you coping?

a OK. You’re always prepared for a crisis.

b You’re trying to deal with everything, but you feel overwhelmed.

c You’re relying on other people to get you through it. d You’re treating yourself a lot, to deal with the stress.