**Stress** affects me both mentally and physically. While I've learned that some stress helps me perform better, I need active strategies to prevent it from becoming overwhelming. ## My Stress Signals - **Physical**: Tight shoulders, shallow breathing, headaches - **Mental**: Racing thoughts, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness - **Emotional**: Irritability, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed - **Behavioral**: Poor sleep, stress eating, procrastination ## What Works For Me - **Morning Meditation**: 10 mins using Headspace app - **Quick Resets**: 4-7-8 breathing when feeling tense - **Movement**: Daily walk + 3x weekly strength training - **Evening Routine**: Gentle stretching before bed ## My Support System - **Professional**: Monthly check-ins with therapist - **Personal**: Weekly calls with close friends - **Work**: Regular 1:1s with manager about workload - **Home**: Quiet space for decompression ## My Tracking System I use [[Health/Stress Management|my stress journal]] to track: - Daily stress level (1-10) - Key triggers and patterns - What helped / didn't help - Sleep quality correlation ## Prevention Strategy Using [[Frameworks/GROW|GROW]] framework for my stress management: 1. **Goal**: Maintain stress below 7/10 2. **Reality**: Currently peaks at 8-9 during projects 3. **Options**: Better boundaries, delegation, breaks 4. **Way Forward**: implementing structured breaks > [!tip] **My Emergency Kit** > > - 5-minute meditation audio > - Calming playlist > - Contact info for support people > - List of quick stress-relief exercises > [!note] **Personal Reminder** > It's okay to step back when feeling overwhelmed. My health comes first.