The stress within a rock mass significantly affects the safety of underground mining operations. As a result, accurately measuring these stresses is critical for maintaining both safety and efficiency in such environments. The orientation and magnitude of rock mass stresses in relation to mining activities can lead to unexpected events like rock bursts, gas outbursts, coal or rock ejections, deformation of mine structures, and support system failures. Therefore, understanding the primary rock mass stress and the changes caused by mining is vital. To measure the pre-mining full stress tensor, compact conical-ended borehole over-coring (CCBO) probes are employed, while compact conical-ended borehole monitoring (CCBM) probes are used to continuously monitor stress changes in the rock mass ahead of advancing longwalls and pillars. This method has been applied in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin across the Czech Republic and Poland. Data from the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and other coalfields worldwide show that the primary horizontal stress component is significantly greater than the vertical stress. Thus, considering the orientation of the main horizontal stress component is crucial in designing mine workings, constructing roadways, and planning extraction activities. Monitoring stress changes in the rock mass due to mining activities can help prevent rock bursts, improve mine stability, assess the impact of mining on the surrounding rock mass, and better understand changes in the stress field distribution.