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Recognizing Stress

1. What images spring to mind when you hear the word ‘stress’?
2. What causes stress? What do you think is the greatest cause of stress for
most people?
3. What makes you stressed?
4. How do you recognize stress in your life? Do you have a kind of red warning
flag that indicates too much stress?
5. When you are stressful, how do you feel physically and emotionally?
6. Have you felt stress recently?
7. Who do you talk to about your stress?
8. Are you stressed at the moment? How do you know it?
9. Have you ever helped someone who was feeling stressful? What did you do?

o Had the cause of the stress happened to you before or was this a new
situation?
 How often do you think you feel too much stress?
 Does stress make it hard for you to think or act?
 How can you judge what is the right amount of stress for you?
 Does stress come when you worry about your life?
 Do you keep your worries a secret from other people?
 Do you have anyone you can talk to when you are worried?
 What do you do when you have stress?
 What are characteristics of a good counselor? Is it necessary to have
shared the same experience?

Healthy Stress

 Do you think stress is ever good, useful, or necessary? Why or why not?
How dangerous do you think stress is?
 When can stress be a good thing?

Controlling Stress

1. How do you relieve stress? Are you capable of relieving your stress or do you
need help?
2.
3. What things do you get stressed about that you wish you wouldn’t?
4. How do you get control of a stressful situation that is getting too tough?
5. What is the "fight or flight" response? How does it relate to stress?
6. Do you like to relax or be active when stressful?
7. Do you have trouble saying ‘No’ to someone that needs something from you?
1. Living Stress Free
1. How can you live a stress free life?
2. Do you always follow the same pattern to relieve stress or do you try different
things?
3. How do you deal with stress?
4. What are some positive ways people deal with stress?
5. What are some negative ways people deal with stress?
6. Which would you choose: A stressful job with very high pay or a relaxing job
with considerably low pay? Why?
7. Is being single less stressful than married life? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of each?
8. How do you reduce stress in your life?