Connecting Personally to a Writing Prompt Topic

Assignment Task:

In a double-entry journal (or chart), brainstorm 5 examples of when you personally experienced anxiety or stress of any kind. Write these examples on the left side of the double-entry journal. Describe what happened. You can be brief here.

On the right side of the double-entry journal, reflect on why you think you experienced the anxiety. What fears did you have? Were other people experiencing the same things and reacting the same way? What expectations did you have for yourself? Where did those expectations come from? (Did authority figures / family / peers express these expectations to you in some way? Does society communicate these expectations? Are your experiences learned behaviors?) Be specific and elaborate.

Requirements: Do not generate any portion of this assignment with the use of AI tools or editing software. All the work for this assignment should be your own. The information for this assignment should come from your own life.

You might not experience anxiety strongly. That’s awesome! You are lucky. But everyone experiences stress. If you have trouble identifying your own stress levels, make a list of stressful situations you find yourself in regardless of whether you perceive that you are stressed in those moments.

Format: The double-entry journal should be a chart that keeps ideas organized in vertical columns and with rows. The example on the left should line up with the reflection on the right. This visual organization will help your brain think more deeply about the topic