Embodiments of a method for monitoring an annular packer are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for monitoring a sealing element of a blowout preventer may include providing a fluid to a chamber disposed within a blowout preventer to actuate a piston disposed within the chamber, wherein the actuation of the piston causes a reduction of an inner diameter of a sealing element; measuring one or more parameters of the fluid via a sensor; receiving data relating to the one or more parameters from the sensor; determining a stiffness of the sealing element utilizing the data relating to the one or more parameters; and determining an amount of degradation of the sealing element by comparing the determined stiffness of the sealing element to a known data profile.