Rate Your Stress Level
To thine own self be true.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 5,924
Rate Your Stress Level
My "Anger" thread reminded me of this. I remember learning about this when I first got into Recovery/therapy all those years ago. I thought it would be helpful to folks to see just how stressed out certain life events can make you, or see how stressed out you are.
I got it at: The Road to Well-Being — Life Stressors. You can click on each of the things happening in your life and it will calculate for you.
Life Stressors
To learn the level of stress (distress) in your life, check in the empty box at the left of each of the following events if it has occurred within the past 12 months:
Event Value
Death of spouse 100
Son or daughter leaving home 29
Divorce 73
Trouble with in-laws 29
Marital separation 65
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Jail term 63
Spouse begins or ceases working 26
Death of close family member 63
Starting or finishing school 26
Personal injury or illness 53
Change in living conditions 25
Marriage 50
Revision of personal habits 24
Fired from job 47
Trouble with boss 23
Marital reconciliation 45
Change in work hours, conditions 20
Retirement 45
Change in residence 20
Change in family member’s health 44
Change in schools 20
Pregnancy 40
Change in recreational habits 19
Sexual difficulties 39
Change in church activities 19
Addition to family 39
Change in social activities 18
Business readjustment 39
Mortgage or loan under $10,000 17
Change in financial status 38
Change in sleeping habits 15
Death of close friend 37
Change in number of family gatherings 15
Career change 36
Change in eating habits 15
Change in number of marital arguments 35
Vacation 13
Mortgage or loan over $10,000 31
Christmas season 12
Foreclosure of mortage or loan 30
Minor violation of the law 11
Change in work responsibilities 29
Note: This scale is derived from the Holmes, T. & Rahe, R. (1967) "Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale", Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2.
Please note that since the development of the Life Events Scale, it has generally been recognized that there can be significant variation in the individual weight that each life event causes due to personal differences and the context of situations. Obviously the size of mortgages has also changed! However, this scale remains a good general estimate of personal stress.
I got it at: The Road to Well-Being — Life Stressors. You can click on each of the things happening in your life and it will calculate for you.
Life Stressors
To learn the level of stress (distress) in your life, check in the empty box at the left of each of the following events if it has occurred within the past 12 months:
Event Value
Death of spouse 100
Son or daughter leaving home 29
Divorce 73
Trouble with in-laws 29
Marital separation 65
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Jail term 63
Spouse begins or ceases working 26
Death of close family member 63
Starting or finishing school 26
Personal injury or illness 53
Change in living conditions 25
Marriage 50
Revision of personal habits 24
Fired from job 47
Trouble with boss 23
Marital reconciliation 45
Change in work hours, conditions 20
Retirement 45
Change in residence 20
Change in family member’s health 44
Change in schools 20
Pregnancy 40
Change in recreational habits 19
Sexual difficulties 39
Change in church activities 19
Addition to family 39
Change in social activities 18
Business readjustment 39
Mortgage or loan under $10,000 17
Change in financial status 38
Change in sleeping habits 15
Death of close friend 37
Change in number of family gatherings 15
Career change 36
Change in eating habits 15
Change in number of marital arguments 35
Vacation 13
Mortgage or loan over $10,000 31
Christmas season 12
Foreclosure of mortage or loan 30
Minor violation of the law 11
Change in work responsibilities 29
Note: This scale is derived from the Holmes, T. & Rahe, R. (1967) "Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale", Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2.
Please note that since the development of the Life Events Scale, it has generally been recognized that there can be significant variation in the individual weight that each life event causes due to personal differences and the context of situations. Obviously the size of mortgages has also changed! However, this scale remains a good general estimate of personal stress.
To thine own self be true.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 5,924
OMGsh, we are ALL stressed out. We ALL need a holiday. I think it was TransformMyself who suggested we all meet up in the Caribbean last winter. Or wait, was it at Jadmack's place down under?
Awakening
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Beautiful Texas hillcountry
Posts: 1,272
Originally Posted by Learn2Live 
I want to know Coyote's score and what he thinks of it, since he has been doing yoga on a regular basis.
I'm a cool, calm, collected, limber, de-stressed, unemployed 142. Just idling through life.
Man, if I could figure out a way to stay unemployed life would be grand. Axw hasn't worked in over 5 years, I think she may be on to something, I'm TIRED damnit ! That working, commuting 60 miles, crap is for the birds.
I will have to do 2 more years to Austin for school, (actually only M-Thur, Fridays off) then, never again.
Thanks and God bless us all,
Coyote
Awakening
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Beautiful Texas hillcountry
Posts: 1,272
Ah, but if we go back just a few sort years ago, a whopping 601, that's with out the 2 custody battles and 2 auto repos. Damn.
I'm surprised I survived, sure it took many years off my life.
Thanks and God bless us all,
Coyote
P.S. So when we say around here that SR and Alanon saved our lives, we aren't far off.
I'm surprised I survived, sure it took many years off my life.
Thanks and God bless us all,
Coyote
P.S. So when we say around here that SR and Alanon saved our lives, we aren't far off.
Awakening
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Beautiful Texas hillcountry
Posts: 1,272
Originally Posted by BuffaloGal
And let me add, as my own personal observation, because so few people in my life have ever understood the depth and duration of stress this caused me:
for a child: death of primary parent 500
for a child: death of primary parent 500
I had no idea it would be so high. Damn.
Thanks and God bless us all,
Coyote
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Wizard Land Downunder
Posts: 2,615
What is the score for being stressed looked for something on this list, and only coming up with 68, and 44 of that is because of RABF's Collitis.
No wonder I haven't had an angina attack for ages. WOW.
No wonder I haven't had an angina attack for ages. WOW.
To thine own self be true.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 5,924
I have recently learned that I have a low tolerance for stress. I did not learn this until I found peace and serenity. Go for a while WITHOUT stressors in your life and then let an alcoholic or addict into your life and watch your blood pressure SOAR and observe yourself losing your mind! Anyway, point is, a score of "200" (or whatever) may mean one thing to one person and quite another to someone with low stress tolerance. So if you have a low score but feel really stressed out, try some stress relievers to help you feel better. Here's a list I got from Googling "relieve stress." Some of it sounds pretty familiar 
but I can't figure why they left off "Take a bubble bath."
Self-Help Stress Relief Tips
Eat right and exercise
Set realistic goals
Handle important tasks first and eliminate unessential tasks
Take a break and meditate to slow down "mind-racing"
Reduce the urge to be "perfect"
Be flexible
Avoid excessive competition
Reduce criticism of yourself and others
Don't stress when expectations are not met
Manage your anger
Push away negativity of any kind
Give yourself "me" time
Choose to keep quiet when you feel a negative reaction
Be cheerful, it deflates others stress and anxiety
Silence your phone at night
Dab essential oils on your wrist to remind yourself to relax
Utilize relaxation techniques; Yoga, Meditation, Breathing, etc.
Laugh and smile more often
Remember you can only change yourself
but I can't figure why they left off "Take a bubble bath."Self-Help Stress Relief Tips
Eat right and exercise
Set realistic goals
Handle important tasks first and eliminate unessential tasks
Take a break and meditate to slow down "mind-racing"
Reduce the urge to be "perfect"
Be flexible
Avoid excessive competition
Reduce criticism of yourself and others
Don't stress when expectations are not met
Manage your anger
Push away negativity of any kind
Give yourself "me" time
Choose to keep quiet when you feel a negative reaction
Be cheerful, it deflates others stress and anxiety
Silence your phone at night
Dab essential oils on your wrist to remind yourself to relax
Utilize relaxation techniques; Yoga, Meditation, Breathing, etc.
Laugh and smile more often
Remember you can only change yourself
To thine own self be true.
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: U.S.A.
Posts: 5,924
Man, if I could figure out a way to stay unemployed life would be grand.
Seriously, I was thinking just last week how I wish I could just go back to college for the rest of my life. This work stuff is for the birds.
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