There are several ways that journaling can reduce the stress in your life. By writing your emotions and your feelings about things, you become more aware of yourself and how you respond to your environment. You are then better able to handle situations. You are more likely to stop and think about the problem and try to resolve it rather than be overwhelmed by it.

Some ways this can be shown is by answering the questions below in your journal. Answer them honestly and sincerely; no one else will be reading them. You can write as much or as little as you feel necessary to express your thoughts.

"I get angry when..." "A time that stress caused me to overact was..." "I could have handled the situation better by..." "I feel out of control when..."

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole journaling story from informed sources.

These are just a few of many questions that can help you live a less stressed life. By discovering the answers to these questions, you can help avoid situations that cause stress. When you are in a potential stressful situation, you can learn to control your feelings. You can get to know yourself better which will make you a happier person. Also, after time of journaling, you will feel comfortable writing out your feelings about more and more things. You will learn to write down your feelings on direct issues in your life.

You can practice more in your journal now by answering the following prompts:

"Journaling makes me feel..." "Stress is affecting my life rightnow by..." "How can some positive stress be useful?" "My balance of stress is uneven right now because..." "I know I am stressed when..."

Ask yourself these same questions as you move through the course and in the weeks and months to come as you continue journaling. See how your answers may change as you learn to manage your stress better.

Don't limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about journaling. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what's important.