Stressful Life Events List
Social Adjustment Rating Scale

A stressful life events list, like the Social Adjustment Rating Scale, is helpful in determining your stress level.

The life events scale is a way of determining if your most stressful life events are putting you on overload...

Good Stress Management skills
will help you get through tough times.

Developed by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe University of Washington School of Medicine, the life events scale is also known as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale.

The scale is used by many psychologists and therapists to determine your level of stress, based on the most stressful life events that you have had, during the past year.

Even a happy event like a wedding can be a stressful life event.

Learn how to manage stress and anxiety successfully.

Good and Bad Events Increase Stress

This life events scale is based on the theory that good and bad events in a person’s life can increase stress levels.

Increased stress levels make a person more susceptible to illness and mental health problems.

Here’s how to use the scale.

If an event has taken place in your life in the last 12 months, copy the number beside the event.
If a particular event has happened to you more than once within the last 12 months, multiply the value (number beside the life event) by the number of occurrences.
Add them up to obtain the total score.

For example, in the last 12 months if you have experienced the death of a spouse (100) and a personal injury (53) your total would be 153.

Death of a spouse 100
Divorce 73
Marital Separation 65
Jail term 63
Death of a close family member 63
Personal injury or illness 53
Marriage 50
Fired at work 47
Marital reconciliation 45
Retirement 45
Change in health of family member 44
Pregnancy 40
Sex difficulties 39
Gain of a new family member 39
Business readjustments 39
Change in financial state 38
Death of a close friend 37
Change to different line of work 36
Change in number of arguments with spouse 35
Mortgage over $ 50,000 31
Foreclosure of mortgage 30
Change in responsibilities at work 29
Son or daughter leaving home 29
Trouble with in-laws 29
Outstanding Personal achievements 28
Spouse begins or stops work 26
Begin or end school 26
Change in living conditions 25
Revision of personal habits 24
Trouble with boss 23
Change in work hours or conditions 20
Change in residence 20
Change in school 20
Change in recreation 19
Change in religious activities 19
Change in social activities 18
Loan less than 50,000 17
Change in sleeping habits 16
Change in number of family get- togethers 15
Change in eating habits 15
Single Person Living Alone 14
Vacation 13
Holidays 12
Minor violation of laws 11

What’s Your Score?

Add all your numbers together to get the total. The higher the number, the higher your stress level.

Your level of susceptibility to illness, disease and mental health problems increases with stressful events happening in your life.

Every time you have a change in your life, you need to adapt, regain stability and therefore maintain health.

The higher your score, the more effort and diligence you will need to relieve stress and tension.

Here’s how you determine your score for the stressful life events list:

Low - if your score is Below 149
Mild - if your score is Between 150-200
Moderate - if your score is Between 200-299
High - if your score is Above 300

How did you do with the Stressful Life Events List? If your score put you in the moderate to high range, then you need to address your stress level--right away.

You are in danger of having stress affect your overall health--and it may be already interfering with your abilities to function normally and handle everyday issues.

It is very important that you develop a personal stress management plan, and get to work right away to reduce stress and tension in your life!

Learn how to handle the stress and anxiety in your life...

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