Rationale:

Stress is a natural part of life and some stress can actually be healthy and good for us. However, too many stressors and/or too few effective strategies for coping with stress cause unhealthy stress. We developed this tool for social-emotional learning and for counseling/therapy.  Using this tool we help clients/students to 1) accurately identify the sources of stress (the stressors) in their lives and 2) measure their personal stress level, assessing where they fall on the healthy-unhealthy stress continuum.

Application/Goals

1. Teach the client/student about the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress and the role of coping strategies in responding to stressors.

2. Introduce the “Stressometer” as a tool to differentiate and describe: a) levels of stress and b) success in using coping strategies.

3. Help the client/student identify situations in their lives that cause stress, both healthy and unhealthy. In making these identifications, they practice differentiating facts from thoughts.

4. Lead the client/student through an assessment (Assess Your Stress).

5. Bonus Activity: Top 4 Stress Busters

If the client/student has revealed significant levels of stress, it is important to follow up by helping them find ways to

• eliminate or transform some of the stressors in their life;

• learn some healthy methods of coping with stress. Top 4 Stress Busters can be used to introduce them to four categories of coping strategies.