1. Understand the Chart's Value
Stress is not a new phenomenon. In 1967, psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe studied the medical records of more than 5,000 patients struggling with illness, looking for a link between stress and sickness. After developing their life-stressor chart, more formally identified as the "Holmes-Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale," health practitioners found it to be reliable among a number of study populations. You can use the chart to examine the impact that stress is having upon your overall health and susceptibility to illness by asking your doctor for a copy of the chart or by downloading it from websites like UCLA CHIPTS. Each stress value on the life-stressor chart is assigned a number of life-change units, which indicate the future likeliness of becoming ill due to emotional strain. The chart is a helpful way of getting in touch with your ability to manage difficulties and your ability to cope with the physical, mental and psychological effects of unexpected changes.
2. Identify Personal Stressors
To begin, circle the values in the right column if they correspond with a stressor--listed on the left--that you've encountered during the last 12 months. For example, you might check "major change in the health or behavior of a family member" if your spouse was diagnosed with a chronic disease 6 months ago.
3. Tally Your Score
After completing the chart, add the total number of life-change units you've circled to calculate your score. Many people find that they score relatively high on the stressor chart, despite denying the impact that life stress has on them.
4. Analyze Your Score
If you scored fewer than 150 points on the Holmes-Rahe scale, you're unlikely to become ill or emotionally compromised from stress. While your life is not devoid of stressful events, the ones you've encountered in the last year have been manageable.
If your score falls between 150 and 300 points, the Holmes-Rahe statistical prediction model indicates that you have a 50-percent chance of a severe breakdown in health over the next 24 months. Begin to think about ways you can reduce your current stressors or better manage them through therapy and healthy coping mechanisms. Take preventative steps to remain physically healthy, such as eating nutritiously, exercising and monitoring sleep habits. According to Holmes and Rahe, scores above 300 mean a serious chance (80 percent) of major health-related problems in the next 24 months. Do not take this score lightly. While you cannot control all life events that come your way, you can take steps to reduce your life-change units by familiarizing yourself with the stress caused by events, anticipating these events and working to reduce the emotional and physical impact they have on you. You may also find the guidance of a therapist helpful in identifying your stressors and learning to manage them before they cause you to become unhealthy.
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