Stress Test
By DeLalla Ellen ~ eDiets ContributorStress is a part of everyday life. No one can escape it and everyone deals with it differently.Tim Lowenstein, Ph.D., can help you handle your stress.
Lowenstein created The Life Stress Test, which presents a scale that will help determine the level of pressure you are facing from major life stress events in the past year.
Take the test, add up the points and see what you might expect.
In the past 12 months, which of the following major life events have taken place in your life?
- Death of a spouse: 100 points
- Divorce: 73
- Marital separation: 65
- Jail term: 63
- Death of close family member: 63
- Personal injury or illness: 53
- Marriage: 50
- Fired from work: 47
- Marital reconciliation: 45
- Retirement: 45
- Change 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: 29
- Change in work responsibilities: 29
- Trouble with in-laws: 29
- Outstanding personal achievement: 28
- Spouse begins or stops work: 26
- Starting or finishing school: 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 violations of the law: 11
Write Down Your Total Score
Result Scale
This scale shows the kind of life pressure that you are facing. Depending on your coping skills – or the lack thereof – this scale can predict the likelihood that you will fall victim to a stress-related illness. The illness could range from mild, but frequent tension headaches, acid indigestion or loss of sleep to very serious illness like ulcers, cancer and migraines.
If you scored 0-149, you have low susceptibility to stress-related illness.
If you scored 150-299, you have medium susceptibility to stress-related illness
