Stress Management For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 3

Getting Started: Gathering Your Tools

In This Chapter

Measuring your stress

Keeping tabs on your stressors

Staying out of your own way

As that Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” You’ve taken that initial step by reading this book. So far, so good. But taking that first step isn’t very helpful if it’s in the wrong direction. On any long trip, you want to have a pretty good idea of where you’re going and to make sure you have the right equipment to get you there. The same wisdom holds true as you begin your journey on the road to becoming your own stress manager. You want to begin with the proper gear — an accurate road map, a good compass, and the right attitudes (and maybe a light lunch).

This chapter gives you the important tools you need to become aware of your stress and to understand where stress comes from and what it looks like. I help you measure your stress and identify your stress triggers. I also show you how to create a stress journal, which helps you pinpoint more specifically when and where you’re stressed. These insights become important as you add tools and strategies to your repertoire to help you manage, ...