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| © iStockphoto vkbhat / From: Mind Tools |
People use
the word "stress" to describe a wide variety of situations – from
your cell phone ringing while you're talking on another phone – to the feelings
associated with intense work overload, or the death of a loved-one.
But perhaps
the most useful and widely accepted definition of stress (mainly attributed to
Richard S. Lazarus) is this: stress is a condition or feeling experienced when
a person perceives that "demands exceed the personal and social resources
the individual is able to mobilize." In less formal terms, we feel
stressed when we feel that "things are out of control."
Our ability
to cope with the demands upon us is key to our experience of stress. For
example, starting a new job might be a wholly exciting experience if everything
else in your life is stable and positive. But if you start a new job when
you've just moved into a new house, or your partner is ill, or you're
experiencing money problems, you might find it very hard to cope.
How much of
this does it take to push you "over the edge?" Not all unusual events
are equally hard to deal with. For example, compare the stress of divorce with
that of a change in responsibilities at work. Because of this, you need to be
able to rate and measure your total stress score appropriately.
The Social
Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), more commonly known as the Holmes and Rahe
Stress Scale, was created to do just that. This tool helps us measure the
stress load we carry and think about what we should do about it.
This article
looks at the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale and explains how you can use it to
manage the stress in your life. (Go to full article + Stress Scale Quiz.)
