journal 5

Pre-Assessment Name: _______________________________
OR
Post-Assessment 
Stress Journal – Stress Questionnaire
Take this stress questionnaire before and after you apply your chosen coping strategy or relaxation technique to deal with the
identified stressor. Each time calculate your total stress level score, by adding the corresponding numbers, e.g. if for item 1 (This
stressor weighs constantly on my mind) you selected “Agree”, you add 4 points, and so on.
1. This stressor weighs constantly on my mind.
2. I start feeling anxious when I think about this stressor.
3. I often feel I have little control over this stressor.
4. I do not feel confident about my ability to deal with this
stressor.
5. This stressor affects other important areas of my life.
6. I feel that this stressor holds me back from enjoying life better.
7. This stressors affects negatively my overall well-being.
8. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 0 being not stressed at all and 5 being
extremely stressed, how stressed do you feel about this stressor?
Total Score:
Strongly
Disagree
1
Disagree
Neither
Agree
Nor
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Agree
2
3
4
5
Tips for Your Final Stress Journal Entry
This document is intended to help you complete the last entry of your stress journal. This
assignment involves applying a coping strategy or relaxation technique of your choice to
address a current stressor in your life. It is important that you first read through the
guidelines posted on Moodle in the Assignments section to complete this assignment.
1. First identify a stressor that you would like to work on and then select a relevant coping
strategy or relaxation technique (from the ones covered in this course or other approved
method [check with us first]) that you can apply to manage better the identified stressor.
2. Next take the stress questionnaire to identify your level of stress in relation to the
identified stressor.
3. Apply the chosen coping strategy or relaxation technique at least four (4) times during
the next week, and each time write a short paragraph (5 – 8 sentences) explaining what
you did and how it worked out. Make sure to include the resources that you have used,
e.g. watched the sitcom Faulty Towers, listened to instrumental piano music
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYcqj8A1Tg), etc.
The following are some ideas on how you can apply your chosen coping strategy or
relaxation technique.
Coping Strategy/Relaxation
Technique
Breathing techniques
Cognitive restructuring
Expressive art
Humor
Suggestions for Application
Listen to a guided breathing meditation audio file at
least four times. The following are some examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0H_4Cf_B1Y,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T67UC1vMJo0.
Feel free to use other resources.
Identify a stressor in your life that you would like to
work on and then follow through the steps outlined
on pages 225 to 226 of your textbook to initiate
cognitive restructuring. As part of this exercise you
will need to identify your thoughts around the
stressor and to highlight unhelpful/toxic thoughts.
You also need to come up with helpful/balanced
thoughts to replace the toxic thoughts. Use the
worksheets in the Cognitive Restructuring Leaflet to
guide you through the process.
Spend some time choosing a suitable theme for your
drawing that relates to your stressor. You can find a
list of illustrative themes to choose from on pages
262 to 265 of your textbook. Do this for four times.
You can choose to draw the same theme over again
and then reflect on the similarities and contrasts.
Watch a comic movie, sitcom, or comedian at least
four times. The following are some examples of
comic movie: The Pink Panther, Roxanne, Home
Journal writing
Meditation and mindfulness
Music therapy
Progressive muscle relaxation
Time-management techniques
Alone. Feel free to use other resources. The
important point here is that you choose something
that will make you laugh.
Identify a stressor that is having a toll on your life.
Write about the stressor for a minimum of 20
minutes per day for four days. Follow the steps
outlined on pages 247 – 249 on your textbook. In
your journal writing entries, you can describe the
stressor/difficulty and its impact on your life,
discuss the feelings that the stressor elicits in you,
and suggest how you can resolve or cope better with
the stressor. Remember that you are writing for
yourself, so do not worry about punctuation,
spelling, and grammar.
Listen to a guided mediation audio file at least four
times. You can use the same guided meditation
exercise each time or you can listen to different
ones. We have posted two guided mediation audio
files on Moodle. Another classic guided meditation
is the one by Jon Kabat-Zinn. which you can find on
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KgZ8RIiAI). Feel free to use other resources.
Select a piece of instrumental or acoustic music
with a slow tempo that will help you relax. Then,
follow the steps outlined on pages 440 to 441 on
your textbook. Do this at least four times.
Listen to a guided progressive muscle relaxation
audio file at least four times. You can use the same
progressive muscle relaxation exercise each time or
you can do different ones. We have posted two
guided progressive muscle relaxation audio files on
Moodle, but feel free to use other resources.
Choose four time-management techniques from the
several techniques outlined on pages 334 to 339,
and apply them at least four times.
4. After a week, take again the stress questionnaire to assess if there have been any changes
to your stress level with regard to the identified stressor.
5. Write a final reflection on your overall experience of applying the chosen coping strategy
or relaxation technique. You use these following questions to structure your final
reflection.
 What changes to your stress level have you noted with the regard to the identified
stressor?
 How did the selected strategy help you cope better with the stressor?
 How has it not helped?
 What would you have done differently?
 How could you use this coping strategy for other stressors in your life?
6. Finally, remember that you have to find a journal article about the coping strategy or
relaxation technique that you have selected, and write a one-page summary of the article.