Stress Mapping
Stress is a necessary part of our lives and can have both beneficial and negative effects. The stress response is primarily determined by our perception of an event, transition, or problem. Finding a balance in our lives and managing our stress can be a challenge. An important first step is recognizing the degree to which we are affected by the stress in our lives and then move toward strategies to make it better.
Did you know that 80% of doctors visits are brought on by stress? Since the fall of man our lives have become more and more stressful. More sin, more business, more sickness, more suffering- and most of us have not been given the tools to help deal with stressors appropriately and efficiently. When we don’t manage stress, it affects us not only emotionally but physically as well. That is why we have created a Stress Mapping technique that will help you not only confront but manage your stress. We desire for you to move forward in managing your stress, not just masking it or stuffing it away.
After one stress mapping session you will come away with a personalized stress assessment, your list of stressors, and a game plan of tackling stress one issue at a time. You will learn how to brainstorm, process, and proactively manage and even eliminate some of your stress so you can continue to work heartily for the Lord in any season you are in.
What to Expect in a Session:
A Stress Mapping session is 1 hour long.
Prior to your Stress Mapping session, you will fill out an online stress assessment.
The first 20 minutes of the session will consist of going over your stress inventory assessment to analyze the various stressors and help you with awareness of your stress.
The final 40 minutes will be used for training and building out your first Stress Map.
If you have already done a Stress Mapping session, you can schedule a second session where the full 60 minutes will be devoted to working through more Stress Maps.
*Stress mapping is a practical technique, and should be used as an added resource to help you manage stress and organize the stressors in your life. It is not meant to replace working through the heart issues pertaining to your emotional stress. For help regarding heart issues related to your stress, consider scheduling a Biblical Counseling session, meet with a mentor or someone in your church, or search scripture on your own to address and process the root causes behind why you may be stressed.
Some common life stressors that can have a big impact on your health are:
The death of a loved one
Divorce
Loss of a job
Increase in financial obligations
Getting married
Moving to a new home
Chronic illness or injury
Emotional problems (depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, low self-esteem)
Taking care of an elderly or sick family member
Traumatic events, such as a natural disaster, theft, rape, or violence against you or a loved one
As said previously, sometimes the stress comes from within. You can mentally stress yourself out just by worrying about the future too much. Some ways of thinking that can lead to stress are:
Fear and uncertainty about the future
Attitudes and perceptions about your life
Unrealistic expectations of yourself
Not adapting to change well
Symptoms of Stress
Stress appears in a variety of ways that differ from person to person. Some of the most common symptoms of early stress include increases in blood pressure, an increase in breathing rate, muscle tension, and a slowing of the metabolism. As the stress continues, additional symptoms can manifest, including:
Headaches
Nausea
Ulcers
Weight gain
Sleep loss
Acne
Muscle pain
Cramps
Digestive issues
Muscle spasms
Hair loss
Sweating
Pain in the back or chest
Erectile dysfunction and loss of libido
Fainting
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Lower immunity against diseases
Nervous twitches
People who suffer from chronic stress are encouraged to be aware of the parts of their life that are causing them stress and to think of each area as a compartment. To keep the mind from overflowing and losing focus, try not to let thoughts jump back and forth from one stressor to the next. When a person can take control of their thoughts, they can make decisions without the influence of everything that is stressing them out.
A stress map is a diagram used to visually organize information. It can be used for note taking, journaling and the such. A single stress map is created around an individual concept, with other ideas branching out, in a hierarchy form, to show relationship among the various pieces.
STEP ONE: IDENTIFY YOUR FOCUS CONCEPT; 2 – 5 MINUTES
Using the goal of stress management to guide in this process, consider your stress load. Think of the top three things that are causing you stress. Of those three things, choose one to focus on for this session. You can repeat this with the others, later.
Another way to approach this is to break your stress into categories (i.e. self, family, work, hobby, friends, etc.) and then choose which category you want to work through first.
Once you’ve landed on a single concept, write this concept down in the center of a blank page.
STEP TWO: BRAINSTORM AROUND YOUR FOCUS CONCEPT; 5 MINUTES
Next, open your mind and spend time in an unfiltered brainstorming mode. Around your focus concept, jot down context to that word. For example, check out this outline to get started.
Try not to overthink this process. This is the “brain dump” part so it’s supposed to be messy.
STEP THREE: ANALYZE; 7 – 10 MINUTES
Once you get your emotions out, it’s time to switch to the other side of your brain and work off of facts, not feelings. The goal is to review your stress map, organize your thoughts and see if there are any common themes in your line of thinking.
Here are examples of questions to ask during this process:
Out of what’s listed here, what can I actually control versus what is out of my control?
With the things that I can control, what are things I can do to resolve?
(my favorite) What out of this REALLY matters and what do I need to let go of?
STEP FOUR: FOCUS ON RESOLUTION; 5 MINUTES
Stress mapping is an essential activity for stress management. Not only is the act of emptying your brain incredibly therapeutic, it also gives many different perspectives to a single culprit of stress. This means potential solutions that weren’t present before.
Look for 1 or 2 immediate actions that you can take to start alleviating your stress load. Maybe an action isn’t the key, maybe a path to resolution is inaction. Spend this time working through options.
Use the questions in step two to help you determine what you can control versus cannot.
HOW TO USE STRESS MAPPING FOR GOAL SETTING?
Stress mapping is a great method for goal setting. Not only does it help refine your goal, but you are also able to layout steps to achieving the goal. When a goal is partnered with bite-sized action items, it is much more likely to be achieved.
Step One: Layout your initial goal as the single concept.
Step Two: Add context by branching off. Consider why this goal is important, what you’re trying to achieve, what it means if you reach your goal, how it would make you feel, etc.
Step Three: Narrow your focus and add action items. Reflect on your branches, refine your goal, as needed, and then start a list of small action items that will achieve your