Type A personality characteristics can bring an increased risk of health problems since they are more 'high strung' or always in a state of chronic stress.

Type A - Key Characteristics:

Time Urgency & Impatience
So many things to do, so litte time! Hurry Up!
Aggresiveness
Easily upset from having a short fuse.
Competitiveness
A dire craving to win or be 'the betterman'.
     

Strong Achievement-Orientation
The drive to excel at what you do.
Certain Physical characteristics
Tense facial muscles from stress.
  

Here's Why
Researchers believe Type A Behavior is more of a reaction to external factors:
  • Jobs with heavy time demands 'train' people to get things done quickly.
  • Workplaces that penalize harshly for mistakes may make one very efficient and achievement-centric.
  • Stressful jobs by nature, make people less patient, more stressed, and prone to 'Type A' behaviors.
  • Some people already are naturally more intense, and it can be exacerbated by environmental stress, or mitigated by conscious effort and lifestyle changes.
 
Negative Effects of Type A Behavior:

Hypertension
High blood pressure is as much as 84% more of a risk among those with "Type A" personality.
Heart Disease
Some experts predict that, for those exhibiting Type A behaviors, heart disease by age 65 us a virtual certainty.
   

Job Stress
"Type A" people usually find themselves in stressful, demanding jobs (sometimes, the jobs create the Type A behavior!), which lead to metabolic syndrome and other health problems.
Social Isolation
Those with Type A behavior often alienate others, or spend too much time on work and focus too little on relationships - increasing the risk of stress that comes with social isolation.


Blood pressure, blood cholesterol and your heart rate are affected by excess chronic stress. Take time for yourself every day to breathe deeply, roll your shoulders and just "be". Do it 10 minutes before you rise in the morning and before you sleep at night. No matter what is happening in your life, work, school or family, you need to remain healthy!
 
How Type A Are You?
  1. Are you always hurrying around and watching time, thinking how little of it you have to spare?
  2. Is it difficult to fully listen to someone talking, because you're thinking of so many other things at the same time?
  3. Do you interrupt others when they speak?
  4. Do you have a significant need to be recognized by others in whatever you do?
  5. Will you often 'max out' (do whatever it takes) to pursue something you want - i.e. close a sale, get a promotion or to get tickets to a hot-selling concert?
  6. Do you walk much faster than most people, until you have to slow down just to keep pace with them?
  7. Do you talk faster than most people, often repeating yourself before others understand what you've just said?
  8. Is your face usually tense - tight lips, frowning, clenched jaws, taut cheeks, tongue clicking or teeth grinding?
  9. Most of the time, do you need to 'win' at everything you do or say - be it at games, project bids or discussions?
  10. Do you sweat often, especially on the forehead and upper lips, or have dark circles under your eyes?

If you have answered 'yes' to many of these questions, then it's time to challenge those habitual patterns of thought or reaction to stress. Take life easy... and take Rilax Zzz.

Rilax Zzz can help to reduce the spikes in your stress hormone levels as you work on softening levels as you work on softening your Type A tendencies. Rilax Zzz contains ingredient that moderates stress and promotes calm.

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