Stress Diary |
|
|
|
|
||
|
Purchase a bound, lined notebook, conveniently sized so you can carry it with you if necessary. Quality is important; choose something durable so you can go back, say six months from now, and see how far you've come.
On the left page, summarize the stressor in general terms in about two or three sentences, the shorter the better. On the right page, write the manifestation of your stress; in short, how the stressor is making life difficult for you.
On the left page below the original paragraph, write the problem. On the right page opposite the problem, write the solution (or a possible solution). Example of Ray's Dairy:
Stressor: Bored to death during my daily commute . . . and feel guilty. (This represents two problems: Ray is bored and he feels guilty about the wasted time.)
Manifestation: Sleep has become a way of dealing with my problems. For example, if I sit down to read a paper or a good book, I fall asleep. I even find myself nodding off during meetings.
Problem: I can't avoid the commute because I can't afford to live in New York City.
Solution: Use commuting time to learn an entirely new trade so I can get out of this mess and work at home.
Ray bought books and tapes on jewelry and jewelry making. In the evenings and on Saturdays he started creating jewelry and became good at it. Eventually this hobby turned into a profession. By working at home as a jeweler, he was able to say good-bye to commuting and turn stress into a new career.
|
||