How Much Stress is in Your Life?

Find out just how much stress you have....

What's your score?

Although each of us is under stress constantly, there are some events that are far and away more stressful than others. To assess the variation of events, researchers Dr. Richard Rahe and Dr. Thomas Holmes developed the scale below in 1967. Keep in mind that everybody views stressors differently, and your assessment of the values may vary greatly from the chart. Also, there are many life events that are not on the chart, and some of those missing events may be great stressors in your experience.

"Social Readjustment Rating Scale"


100		Death of spouse
73		Divorce
65		Marital separation
63		Jail term
63		Death of close family member
53		Major personal injury or illness
50		Marriage
47		Fired from work
45		Marital reconciliation
45		Retirement
44		Change in health of family member
40		Pregnancy
40		Sex difficulties
39		Gain of new family member
39		Major business readjustment
38		Change in financial state
37		Death of a close friend
36		Change to a different line of work
35		Change in number of arguments with partner
31		Mortgage or loan for major purchase (home, etc.)
30		Forclosure on a mortgage or loan
29		Change in responsibilities at work
29		Son or daughter leaving home
29		Trouble with in-laws
28		Outstanding personal achievement
26		Spouse begins or stops work
26		Begin or end school
25		Change in living conditions
24		Revision of personal habits
23		Trouble with boss
20		Change in work hours or conditions
20		Change in residence
20		Change in schools
19		Change in recreation
19		Change in church activities
17		Loan for car, TV, furniture, etc.
16		Change in sleeping habits
15		Change in number of family get-togethers
15		Change in eating habits
13		Vacation
12		Christmas
11		Minor violations of the law

Add up the points for events that have occured to you within the last 12 months. The researchers considered a score of less than 150 to be an indicator that you have experienced minor stress. A score between 150 and 199 indicates mild stress. 200-299 indicates moderate stress, and above 300 is major stress.

Since stress results in a physiological strain on our body, extended or excessive stress can have a very negative effect. Studies have indicated that people with scores above 300 are much more likely to have an accident or experience an illness within 2 years. Those with scores between 150 and 300 have a moderate risk of accident or illness, up to a 35% increased risk. Below 150 you have a much reduced chance of accident or illness, but it is still important to take care.

Symptoms of stress

Regardless of your score, you may exhibit some of the following symptoms of excessive stress:

PHYSICAL	MENTAL	EMOTIONAL
tightness in chest	difficulty making decisions	tense
trouble sleeping	forgetfulness	grumpy
upset stomach	trouble concentrating	impatient
constipation	making errors	hoplesness
exhaustion	repetitive thoughts	hostile
backache	desire to "run away"	easily upset
accidents or injuries	continued boredom	lonely
unexpected tears	confusion	feeling sad

Make changes now

Some research being performed now indicates that up to 50% of all disease is caused by stress! We also know that extended stress puts such physical strain on our bodies that it reduces life span. Click here to understand the physiological process that stress induces. The good news is that we CAN manage even the worst stress in our lives. Even though lots of changes may be happening to us we can maintain balance and keep our health.

Hypnosis helps

There are many effective ways to deal with stress in our lives - click here to learn about them. Although we can't eliminate most of the stresses we experience, management of them is a skill we can learn. At The Pathway we help people learn those skills. Give us a call to set up an appointment and we'll help you learn to relax and get more enjoyment from life!

Our services are available in Nashua, New Hampshire,

where we can be reached by email at:

PAD@thepathway.com

or by phone at: 603-381-2139