The Stress Bucket Model

Imagine you carry an invisible bucket. Stressors, like work deadlines, family tension, or financial worries—are the drops of water filling that bucket. When it overflows, symptoms like irritability, exhaustion, hopelessness, helplessness, and anxiety appear. Your job is to create “drain holes” in that bucket using healthy coping strategies such as processing your thoughts, using expressive writing, talking to someone, communicating your needs and frustrations, exercise, utilizing social support, utilizing support groups, partaking in hobbies, or therapy. The more effective your outlets, the less likely you are to overflow when life gets busy.