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The following is a useful tool for evaluating personal stress.  Take a look at how you rate----and then create a personal action plan today!

 

THE SOCIAL READJUSTMENT RATING SCALE

 

DIRECTIONS:  Read the list of life events and enter the score for each event that has occurred to you in the past year.  (If any event occurred more than once, multiply the point value by the number of times it occurred.)  Then, total your score.

 

 

     LIFE EVENT

POINT

VALUE

YOUR

SCORE

 

     LIFE EVENT

POINT

VALUE

YOUR

SCORE

 

1.        Death of spouse

2.        Divorce

3.        Marital separation

4.        Detention in jail or other institution

5.        Death of a close family member

6.        Major personal injury or illness

7.        Marriage

8.        Fired at work

9.        Martial reconciliation

10.     Retirement

11.     Major change in health/behavior of a family member

12.     Pregnancy

13.     Sexual difficulties

14.     Gain of a new family member (e.g., through birth, adoption, mother moving in, etc.)

15.     Major business readjustment (e.g., merger, reorganization, bankruptcy, etc)

16.     Major change in financial status (e.g., a lot worse/better off than usual)

17.     Death of a close fiend or family member (other than spouse)

18.     Change to a different line of work

19.     Major change in the number of arguments with spouse (e.g., a lot more/less than usual regarding childrearing, personal habits, etc.)

20.     Taking out a mortgage/loan for a major purchase (e.g., for home, business, etc.)

21.     Foreclosure of mortgage/loan

22.     Major change in responsibilities at work (e.g., promotion, demotion, lateral transfer, etc.)

23.     Son or daughter leaving home (e.g., through marriage, attending college, etc.)

24.     Trouble with in-laws

25.     Outstanding personal achievement

26.     Spouse beginning or ceasing work outside the home

 

100

73

65

63

63

53

40

47

45

45

 

44

40

39

 

 

39

 

39

 

38

 

37

36

 

 

 

35

 

31

30

 

 

29

 

 

29

29

28

 

26

 

 

______

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______

______

 

______

______

______

 

 

______

 

______

 

______

 

______

______

 

 

 

______

 

______

______

 

 

______

 

 

______

______

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______

 

27.    Beginning or ceasing formal schooling

28.    Major change in living conditions (e.g., building a new home, remodeling, moving, etc.)

29.    Revisions of personal habits (e.g., dress, manners, etc.)

30.    Trouble with your boss

31.    Major change in working hours or conditions

32.    Change in residence

33.    Change in schools

34.    Major change in usual type/amount of recreation

35.    Major change in church activities (e.g., a lot more/less than usual)

36.    Major change in social activities (e.g., a lot more/less than usual

37.    Taking out a loan for a lesser purchase (e.g., for car, TV, freezer, etc.)

38.    Major change in sleeping habits (e.g., a lot more/less than usual, change in part of day when you sleep, etc.)

39.    Major change in family get-togethers (e.g., a lot more less than usual)

40.    Major change in eating habits (e.g., a lot more/less food than usual, different meal hours or surroundings, etc.)

41.    Vacation

42.    Christmas/holiday season

43.    Minor violations of the law (e.g., traffic or jaywalking ticket, disturbing the peace citation, etc.)

 

 

YOUR  TOTAL SCORE

 

Source:  Adapted from Holmes, T.H. and Rahe, R.H.:  The Social Readjustment Rating Scale.  Journal of Psychosomatic Research 11:213-218.  Reprinted with permission.

 

26

 

 

25

 

24

23

 

20

20

20

 

19

 

19

 

18

 

17

 

 

16

 

15

 

 

15

13

12

 

 

11

 

______

 

 

______

 

______

______

 

______

______

______

 

______

 

______

 

______

 

______

 

 

______

 

______

 

 

______

______

______

 

 

______

 

 

 

 

 

Research by the creator of this instrument indicates a correlation between the amount of change we are required to adapt to or cope with, and the risk of illness.  A score of 300 or more indicates a higher likelihood of illness than a score of 150.

A high score on the instrument, however, does not always result in illness.  For example, someone can change jobs, move to a new city, and buy a new house without feeling overly stressed.  Someone else may find that amount of change highly stressful.  It depends on the way we look at change.

Two implication may be drawn from the research.  One is that it isn’t wise to attempt too many changes in a short period of time.  Second, even in events we have no control over, we can choose how we will respond to them.  We can take it in stride or become overwhelmed and possibly ill as a result.


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If your scores are high, here are some possibilities to take back control:

PERSONAL SELF-CARE PLAN

 

Directions:  Use this sheet to evaluate your current response to stressful events.  At the end of this section, place a check mark beside those areas you would like to improve.  As you complete these exercises you will develop a personal self-care plan using basic Stress Management information.

 

       Support Systems.

Evaluate your support system.  Does it provide support for you in times of stress?  What will you do to make your support system serve you better?

 

       Perfectionism.

Are you a perfectionist?  Why?  What will you do to relieve your tendency toward perfectionism.

 

       Self-Talk.

Is your self-talk positive or negative?  What will you do to make sure your self-talk remains positive?

 

       Assertiveness.

Are you assertive enough?  Are you experiencing conflict by expressing yourself too aggressively?  What will you do to express your needs honestly and forcefully, yet politely?

 

       Workaholism.

Do you exhibit workaholic tendencies?  What will you do to ensure a positive balance between work and other areas of your life.

 

       Vary Work and Play Activities.

Assess your leisure time activities.  What changes would you make to ensure that they are the best activities for your re-creation?”

 

       Relax.

What do you do now to relax?  Do you ever spend time doing nothing?  Do you exercise regularly?  What will you do to provide yourself needed relaxation?

 

       Self Management.

Are you in control of your time?  Why or why not?  What will you do to gain control of your time?

 

       Resolve Conflict.

How do you currently deal with conflict?  Do you avoid it or deal with it?  Are

conflicts resolved so both parties are winners?  What will you do to more positively deal with the conflict in your life?

 

      Action Plan.

Identify one thing you can do today to begin impacting your #1 area to work on:

 

 

Keep your plan where you can remind yourself of your goals.  Continue to work through your personal Self-Care plan and adjust or add goals.

 

 

Here are some additional helps:

 

 

DEEP RELAXATION

 

The ability to relax deeply and quickly is an extremely useful way of coping with stress and other maladaptive emotions.

Choose one of the following relaxation techniques and practice it at least twice a day for a week.  Initially, the exercises will take about 15 minutes, but less time will be required once you’ve got all the steps mastered.

Relaxation exercises should be carried out in a relatively quiet place while sitting in a comfortable chair or lying down.  (Unplug your phone if possible.)

 

Technique #1

 

1.       Take a few minutes to concentrate on relaxing your whole body.  Shake your shoulders, inhale and exhale deeply and slowly a few times, and clear your mind of thoughts and concerns.

2.       Next, focus your attention on your left arm and repeat to yourself over and over that it is getting heavy and it is getting warm.  Continue this repetition until you actually feel that your left arm has become very heavy and very warm.

3.       Do this for your right arm, each of your legs, your stomach, your chest, your neck, your head, and your face.  Focus your attention on each body area in turn, repeating that it is getting very heavy and very warm.  (Repeat five times.)

4.       Continue this relaxation until you feel the tension flow out of you.  Feel the tension flow into the couch or the bed you are lying on.  (You may fall asleep during all this, but it’s more likely you’ll feel awake, but very quiet in body and mind.)

5.       Let yourself rest there, quiet and relaxed for 10 minutes or so.  You will feel calm and refreshed when you arise.  (Note: this relaxation technique gets easier and more beneficial each time you use it.)

 

 

Adapted from How to Learn Deep Muscle Relaxation by G. Smith, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

 

Technique #2

 

  1. Sitting upright in a comfortable chair, make yourself as comfortable as possible—loosen tight clothing, uncross your legs, rest your arms in your lap, and take several deep, slow breaths.
  2. With your arms bent at the elbow, make a hard fist with both hands and bend your wrists so that the muscles of your arms are tensed.  (This will produce a state of tension in your hands, forearms and upper arms.)

Hold this tension for five seconds, then slowly let the tension out while concentrating  on the sensation in your arms and hands as the tension is released.

 

After the tension is released, notice the contrast between the tension you created in your muscles and the subsequent relaxation.  Now, deepen this relaxation by giving yourself a mental command to relax each time you exhale; do this for the next 10 breaths.

 

  1. Next, tense your calf and thigh muscles.  (You can do this by straightening out your legs hard while pointing your toes downward.)

Hold this tension for five seconds, then slowly let the tension out, as you did above.  Again, notice the sensation in your muscles as the tension is released.  Just as you did above, deepen this relaxation by giving yourself a mental command to relax each time you exhale; do this for the next 10 breaths.

 

  1. Repeat the above steps for your:

·         chest and shoulder muscles (press the palms of your hands together and push)

·         neck and jaw

·         forehead and scalp

·         abdominal muscles

·         back muscles (push your shoulders back as far as possible and hold)

 

  1. Finally, take a series of short breaths - about one per second - until your chest is filled.  Hold for about five seconds, then exhale slowly while thinking the word, “Relax.”

 

Repeat this process at least five times, each time striving to deepen your state of relaxation.

 

 

 

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