I was given this stress test by one of my professors in college. He explained that “change” is a major cause of stress in our lives and he encouraged us to take the following test to examine the stress factors in our lives and to see how those stress factors may be affecting us.
If you want to take the test, select each of the following stress factors you have personally experienced over the past 12 months and then add the numbers together to tally your stress level. Feel free to leave a comment with your stress level. I’ve listed mine below! Yikes!
Death of your spouse 100
Divorce 73
Marital separation 65
Jail term 63 (umm…only 63?)
Personal injury 53
Marriage 50
Fired from work 47
Marital reconciliation 45
Retirement 45
Changes in family member’s health 44
Pregnancy 40
Sex difficulties 39
Addition to family 39
Business readjustment 39
Change in financial status 38
Death of a close friend 37
Change to a different line of work 36
Change in number of marital arguments 35
Mortgage or loan over $10,000 31
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 30
Change in work responsibilities 29
Son or daughter leaving home 29
Trouble with in-laws 29
Outstanding personal achievement 28
Spouse begins or stops work 26
Starting or finishing your degreel 26
Change in living conditions 25
Revision of personal habits 24
Trouble with boss 23
Change in work hours, conditions 20
Change in residence 20
Change in schools 20
Change in recreational habits 19
Change in church activities 19
Change in social activities 18
Mortgage or loan under $10,000 17
Change in sleeping habits 16
Change in number of family gatherings 15
Change in eating habits 15
Vacation 13
Christmas season 12
Minor violation of the law 11
The thought behind this stress test is when you experience changes, you generate a stress number, and if you go above a reasonable level, you potentially endanger your health. Scoring over 300 points greatly increases your risk of illness or injury due to stress. A score between 150-299 reduces your risk by 30%, while a score of less than 150 involves only a slight chance of illness. If you score high, you may want to protect yourself by reducing any additional stress in your life: don’t change anything – not even your breakfast cereal – until your overall stress level is lower. Any changes – good or bad-will introduce additional stress!
