---
title: Stress Warning Signals (archived)
url: https://mbmi.org/archive/mind-body-basics/managing-stress/warning-signals
description: The Stress Warning Signals page archived from mbmi.org: the negative stress cycle and a self-check for early signs of stress.
original_author: Mind/Body Medical Institute (later Benson-Henry Institute)
archived_at: https://web.archive.org/web/20081020055756/http://www.mbmi.org/basics/mstress_sws.asp
---
# Stress Warning Signals (archived)

A page about noticing stress early, with a symptom checklist and guidance on what to do with the result.

- Original author: Mind/Body Medical Institute (later Benson-Henry Institute)
- Original URL: http://www.mbmi.org/basics/mstress_sws.asp
- Captured: 2006-01-15 to 2008-10-20 (13 snapshots)
- Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20081020055756/http://www.mbmi.org/basics/mstress_sws.asp
- Current guide: https://mbmi.org/stress/effects

## What this page said

The page described a negative stress cycle: a perceived threat causes physical or psychological symptoms, which in turn raise stress and worsen the symptoms. It argued that the cycle is hard to interrupt, so it is better to avoid getting caught in it, and that awareness of stressors is the first step.

Readers were invited to complete a Stress Warning Signals checklist. Five or fewer symptoms checked suggested they were coping fairly well; more suggested stress might be affecting health and quality of life, and the page recommended starting a relaxation practice or asking a physician about referral to mind/body programs. The checklist itself is not reproduced here.

## Key points from the original

- Stress and symptoms can feed each other in a cycle.
- A checklist threshold of five symptoms separated coping well from at risk.
- Suggested relaxation practice and, if needed, a physician referral.

This is a historical record, not medical advice.