How to Track Your Stress

How to Track Your Stress

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, keep a record to track the times 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 record might look like.

Stress record example

Time

Stressful event

Reaction (symptoms, thoughts, behaviours)

Coping response


7:30


Kids not getting ready for school


Felt tightness in stomach, yelled at them


Had a doughnut when I got to work


9:30


Late for meeting with supervisor


Tight stomach, fear about performance review


Talked with Janet about it and felt better


11:00


Copier broke down again


Headache, snapped at Bill to call repair person


Not sure


3:15


Call from sister about her divorce interrupted my work


Headache got worse


Daydreamed about trip to Hawaii


5:30


Meeting ran overtime, couldn't leave at 5:00


Headache still there, neck begins to ache


Went out for a few drinks with co-workers

  • Look over your notes to learn how often you are feeling stressed and how you are coping.
  • Ask yourself:
    • Did you find that there were certain times of the day when you are more stressed? What was going on during those times?
    • Were your reactions related more to thoughts, like worrying, or were they more physical, like headaches?
    • Did you notice that certain people or certain situations triggered your stress?
    • Which ways of coping with stress work best, and which ones don't work or have other effects you don't like?

The more notes you write down, the more you can learn about your stress patterns. Tracking your stress for 1 to 2 weeks is best. But taking notes even for 1 or 2 days can be helpful. If you are seeing a doctor or a therapist to help manage your stress, consider sharing your record with him or her. It will give your doctor important information to help you manage your stress.

Credits

Current as of: October 20, 2022

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Donald Sproule MDCM, CCFP - Family Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Steven Locke MD - Psychiatry
Christine R. Maldonado PhD - Behavioral Health