Topic Overview

You may not know what is causing your stress, exactly how your body responds to stress, or how you cope with stress. To find out, use a journal to keep track of each time you feel stressed. Write down:

• What may have triggered the stress. Guess if you aren't sure.
• How you felt and behaved in response to the stressful situation (symptoms of stress).
• What, if anything, you did to cope with the stressful situation.

Here's a sample of what a stress journal might look like.

• Look over your notes to learn how often you are feeling stressed and how you are coping.
• Ask yourself which ways of coping with stress work best and which don't work or have other effects you do not like.

The more notes you take, the more you can learn about your stress patterns. Keeping the journal for 1 to 2 weeks is best, although taking notes for even 1 or 2 days can be helpful.