Managing stress is essential for maintaining both mental and physical health, but access to quality resources isn’t always easy—or affordable. That’s why I’ve compiled this collection of free stress management workbooks. Whether you’re a clinician looking for tools to share with clients or simply someone seeking healthier ways to cope, these downloadable guides offer practical strategies to help you reduce anxiety, build resilience, and regain a sense of control.
Disclaimer: All external material is the property of its respective creators. I am not responsible for the accuracy, content, or availability of linked materials. Please adhere to all copyright laws when using or sharing these resources.
1. Calmer Life Program: Self-Help Workbook
100 pages, 2018, Source: VA HSR&D Houston Center of Excellence, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston Baylor College of Medicine, & University of St. Thomas
This workbook is designed for older adults who find it hard to manage their worry/stress.
2. Finding Balance Workbook: Simple Tools for a Less Stressed Life
19 pages, Source: Kaiser Permanente
These workbook activities are designed to help you see how stress affects you, and discover healthy ways to cope.
3. Manage Stress Workbook
23 pages, 2020, Source: Purdue University
This workbook will guide you through steps to identify and track your stress, and practice a variety of strategies that have been shown to counteract stress.
4. Manage Stress Workbook
20 pages, 2021, Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
This workbook was designed by the National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NCP). It will guide you through steps to identify and track your stress, and practice a variety of strategies that have been shown to counteract stress.
5. The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook
393 pages, 2008
Source: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
This workbook is based on more than twenty-five years of clinical experience working with clients with symptoms of tension and stress like insomnia, worry, high blood pressure, headaches, indigestion, depression, and road rage.
6. Stress Busting: Help Yourself to Reduce Your Stress
35 pages, Source: University of Exeter
This booklet is aimed at any student who is struggling with stress.
7. The Stress Factor: Your Guide to Stress
16 pages, Source: First Psychology
If nothing caused you stress or excitement, life would be pretty boring. So it would seem that small amounts of stress are good however, when we are overwhelmed with excessive stress both physical and psychological, our life becomes a series of short term emergencies. If everything in life causes you stress then this could lead to physical or mental health problems.
8. Stress in Everyday Life: A Life Effectiveness Guide
32 pages, Source: Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors
Technology evolved to make our lives easier and less stressful and it is continually improving in leaps and bounds, yet we all still feel deep stress on many occasions despite great technology. Backaches, headaches, strokes, migraines, sleeplessness, anger and hostility etc. are showing us that we are more stressed than ever before. Even our hobbies and interests are stressful and demanding activities.
9. Stress Management Participant Workbook
21 pages, Source: SupportLinc EAP
Understand the different types of stress, review the most common effects of stress, improve your awareness of stress and your ability to manage it effectively, gain practical tools and information, and learn specific strategies to address stress in the workplace.
10. Stress Management Workbook
12 pages, Source: William Frey, University of NC at Chapel Hill
Learn practical skills and attitudes for reducing stress that draw upon your inner resources and natural capacity for healing and health so that you can model stress management for your patients and identify many other resources for your use and the use of your patients.
11. Stress Relief Adult Colouring Book
16 pages, 2020, Source: Sam Antolik
12. Stretched to the Limit (How to Manage Workplace Stress)
31 pages, 2005, Source: Mike Moore
It is important to remember that we are talking about managing stress and not
about eliminating it from our lives. If stress were not a part of our lives we
would be dead. Living involves stress. It’s unmanaged stress that can destroy
our health and wellbeing and which must be controlled.
13. Taking You from Distress to De-stress
13 pages, 2023, Source: Stress Management Society
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list
seems endless, deadlines are fast approaching and you find yourself
saying ‘Eek! I feel stressed!’? But what is stress really, and how does it affect us?
14. Talk Plus: Stress
18 pages
Stress is a normal response that keeps us motivated to meet demands. Too little stress can lead to feeling unmotivated or bored. Too much stress can lead to burn out and anxiety symptoms.
15. Youth Smart: Stress Management & Healthy Coping Workbook
43 pages, Source: Canadian Mental Health Association
The aim of this workbook is to equip you with mental health knowledge and skills to understand the things you can do to help support your mental health. This workbook is primarily designed for those who are 16 to 24, also known as emerging adults.
Supplementary Materials
Disclaimer:
These supplementary materials are intended to be used exclusively in conjunction with the corresponding workbooks which must be purchased separately. They are designed to support the content and exercises within the workbooks and are not intended to be a standalone resource. Unauthorized distribution, reproduction, or use of these materials without the accompanying workbook is prohibited. Please respect copyright and intellectual property laws.
