How to Audit Your Stress (Stress Bucket Series, Part 2)
Episode 38: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout
This post is part 2 of a 4-part series on the Stress Bucket exercise—a core framework we use with clients to help them manage their load, build capacity, and live with more intention. If you haven’t yet, go back Part 1 (Episode 37) to unpack your own stress bucket before continuing.
Today, we dive into the second step: learning how to audit your stress. Because knowing you’re stressed is one thing—knowing how stressed you are, what’s contributing to it, and how to work with it in real time? That’s where transformation begins.
Click here to download the Stress Bucket Workbook Freebie!
What We Cover in This Episode
- Why chronic stress decreases heart rate variability (and why that matters)
- What stress signatures are and how to recognize yours
- The difference between macro, micro, and medium stress audits
- The link between physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral signs of stress
- How to use self-awareness to prevent burnout and improve regulation
Why Chronic Stress Goes Unnoticed
For years, I (Amanda) wore productivity like a badge of honor, unaware of how deeply it was depleting my system. Today, my heart rate variability (HRV) is lower than ideal for someone in their 30s—more like someone in their 60s. HRV, a common marker of vagal tone and nervous system resilience, tells us how adaptable our bodies are to stress.
Chronic stress doesn’t just wear on your mind—it reshapes your physiology. It can tank your HRV, and low HRV makes us more susceptible to future stress and trauma. It’s a cycle that continues unless interrupted by lifestyle shifts, somatic tools, and deeper healing work. The takeaway? Stress management isn’t a luxury; it’s non-negotiable for long-term health.
The Nervous System Wasn’t Built for Hustle
Our biology is designed for short bursts of stress followed by recovery. But most of us live in prolonged activation, driven by hustle culture and constant output. The cost? Dysregulated physiology, reduced resilience, and long-term mental and physical health issues.
The good news: we can measure our progress. Devices like the Oura Ring, Apple Watch, and WHOOP can track HRV. But you don’t need tech to begin—you just need awareness.
What Is a Stress Audit?
Step 2 of the Stress Bucket exercise is about recognizing how full your bucket is in any given moment. Amanda walks through three ways to use this:
- Macro audits: Full-life reviews done a few times a year (or after a period of overwhelm) using the free workbook.
- Micro check-ins: A few seconds each day to ask, “How full is my bucket right now?” This informs how you move through your day.
- Medium filters: Using stress awareness to decide whether or not to add more commitments or say yes to more.
Each check-in is a chance to respond with intention instead of defaulting to burnout. Stress audits help you track your capacity, own your limits, and make aligned decisions.
How to Recognize Your Stress Signature
We all have a unique stress fingerprint—what Amanda calls your stress signature. This is how your system lets you know the bucket is full before you hit the wall.
Explore your signs across four categories:
- Physical: Jaw clenching, digestive issues, tension, headaches, disrupted sleep.
- Emotional: Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, numbness.
- Cognitive: Racing thoughts, negative self-talk, difficulty focusing, cognitive distortions like catastrophizing.
- Behavioral: Nail biting, procrastination, snapping at loved ones, compulsive scrolling.
When you learn your personal indicators, you can respond sooner—with regulation instead of collapse. The Stress Bucket Workbook includes guided prompts to help you explore all four areas and build self-awareness over time.
Applying It in Real Life
Doing a daily stress audit helps me to course correct before spiraling. For example, waking up already activated means I’ll communicate that to my partner, adjust my expectations, and be more proactive about using tools to release tension.
I also model how stress audits influence parenting, decision-making, and business. One example I shared in this episode was choosing not to enroll my toddler in extracurriculars because the family stress bucket is already near full. That’s what this work looks like in practice—creating space for what matters most by being honest about your capacity.
This is exactly the kind of embodied decision-making we explore inside the Regulated Living Membership, where weekly tools and community support help you live more aligned with your values and nervous system.
Three Tangible Takeaways
- Start with awareness, not action. Don’t skip to fixing. Begin by noticing how full your bucket feels—and why.
- Audit stress at three levels. Use macro, micro, and medium audits to manage both chronic and situational stress.
- Learn your stress signature. Knowing your physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral cues gives you power to pivot before burnout hits.
Looking for more personalized support?
- Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
- Join me inside the Regulated Living Membership, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
- Join my Release Class – Monthly guided nervous system regulation class
- Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
- Download free resources here
*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
