Stress Management Journal 1: Personal Stressors and Coping Strategies

This assignment is a stress management journal analyzing the student's personal stressors over the past month. It requires the identification and explanation of four specific stressful events, including positive, negative, environmental, and psychological stressors. The student rates each stressor, lists symptoms from physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral categories, and evaluates their handling of the events, identifying coping strategies. The assignment also includes critical thinking questions, such as identifying the most intense symptom group, explaining the psychophysiological reasons for their reactions, relating stress theories, describing a relaxation technique (mindfulness meditation), and discussing how events can change performance within the zones of stress. The journal demonstrates the student's ability to reflect on personal experiences and apply psychological concepts to manage stress effectively. The student's response is evaluated based on the identification of stressors, the description of symptoms, the analysis of coping strategies, and the answers to the critical thinking questions.

Name: ___________________________________ _____ Section #: _________________
STRESS MANAGEMENT JOURNAL 1 TYPED ASSIGNMENT DUE: Week 6 Value: 20% Mark: /30
PERSONAL STRESSORS
Identify and explain 4 specific stressful
events over the PAST MONTH. (at
least 1 positive and negative event; at
least 1 environmental and psychological
stressor).
Rating
(1-10)
+ve or
-ve
SYMPTOM GROUPS
List 1-2 symptoms according to the given categories.
How well
did you
handle
these
events?
Explain
your level
of
performanc
e.
Identify at least 2
resources (coping
strategies) in each event
that would help you
improve your
performance?
Physical Emotional Cognitive Behavioural
Negative personal stressor
1. the death of a family member
2. Illness.
3. Losing contact with love ones
4. Financial problems
-9 -insomnia
-low energy
-Mood swings -disorganized
-forgetfulness
-increased use
of alcohol
-change in
appetite with
too less eating
-physical
activities
like jogging,
aerobics and
running
assisted me
to relieve
stress.
- A human resource like
being involved in social
groups and counselling.
-financial resources like
landing a well-paying job.
The positive personal stressors
1. Starting a new job
2. Taking educational classes.
3. Learning a new hobby
4. Holiday season
+6 -insomnia
-headache
-anxiety
-anxiety -racing thoughts -exhibiting
nervous
behaviours like
pacing,
fidgeting and
nail-biting
-mediation
and other
mindfulness
techniques
helped me to
strengthen
my
emotional
-getting mentorship and
effective orientation in my
new job
-staying with my family
during holiday seasons
1

response to
stress.
3. The environmental stressors
1. Change in weather patterns resulting
in extremely coldness
2. Noise
3. Air quality.
-4 -rapid
heartbeat
-chest pain
-frequent
colds
- memory and
concentration
problem
-constant
worrying
-
procrastinating
Avoidance of
tasks and
responsibility
-keeping
mind active
and
maintaining
a healthy
diet assisted
to keep my
mind focus.
exercising
-accessibility of
gymnasiums and other
exercise facilities such as
secure roads for cross
country
- Heavy wears for winter
and light during summer
-relocating to new places
with reduced pollution.
4. The Physiological stressors
1. Expose to traumatic incidence (car
accident)
2. Health problems
-8 -insomnia
-infections
-Depression -poor judgment
Being
pessimistic
(meaning
seeing negative
things always in
my
- change in
appetite with
too less eating
-
Increasingly
use of
mobile
applications
and social
media
platforms
helped me to
calm the
brain.
- often visiting a doctor for
checkup
- Friends
Marks /4 /1 /5
/1
/4
2

Critical Thinking Questions:
1. Identify which symptom group (i.e. physical, emotional, cognitive or behavioural) you experienced more frequently or intensely and
the psychophysiological reason for your reaction to stress? (2 marks)
Insomnia and mood swing is the symptom that I often experience. My psychological reason for reaction to stress is to live a healthy life as sleeping is an essential aspect of
every humankind.
2. Which of the three stress theories do you believe best explains the causes of your stress? (2 marks)
Cognitive appraisal of stress theory.
3. Identify and describe one relaxation technique that would help. (2 marks)
Mindfulness meditation. This technique generally involves sitting comfortably, having a strong focus on breathing and mobilizing the mind to forget about the past and
focus on the present time (Gu, Strauss, Bond & Cavanagh, 2015).
4. Explain how/when you will practice your chosen relaxation technique. (2 marks)
I will practice my mindfulness technique more often for better results. I will focus on practicing it very early in the morning before engaging my daily routines.
5. Explain how one of these events in relation to the ZONES OF STRESS can change (improve/diminish) your performance? (2 marks)
Illness event can significantly diminish my performance in both at school and the workplace. With illness, my morale and motivation of performing duties effectively are
low. In addition, my level of concentration and focus is also low and therefore am unable to hit the targets and set goals at the right time.
Communication Journal is well written; each stressor is Writing is average; each stressor is Journal is poorly written; has many
3

identified; has minimal grammar or
spelling errors
/5
described; has few grammar and/or
spelling errors
/3
grammar and/or spelling errors
/1
References
Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction
improve mental health and wellbeing? A systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical psychology review, 37,
1-12.
4