Stress Diary Analyzing My Stress Diary

Maintaining a stress diary has been a most useful experience, as it has led to some valuable personal insights. Though I have been aware of experiencing somewhat high levels of anxiety off and on, accompanied by a feeling of being tied up in knots, I never really attempted to either consciously monitor the frequency of such episodes or try to resolve the problem. Until I started keeping a daily 'stress log' to record the frequency, causes, and my reactions to stressful events and situations.

The daily recording of my sources of stress has now helped me realize that my common stressors are the results of term papers that I have handed in, and the presence of a couple of people in my circle of friends. Reflecting on these causes, I have...

In the case of term papers, my anxiety is caused by a desire to please my parents with good grades, while in the case of my friends the anxiety stems from a fear that I don't quite match up to their standards of a 'fun' person. Thus, my stressors occur only with particular people and situations.
During the episodes of stress described above, I find that my muscles feel uncomfortably tight, especially around the neck and shoulders. Besides the discomfort caused by such knotted muscles, I know I am stressed when I feel a rising sense of anxiety. In fact, the anxiety I feel usually manifests itself in my withdrawing into a sort of sullen silence. Thinking about the…