If you were asked what 10 situations do you think generate the most stress, what would you answer? Although it is clear that things affect everyone in a certain way, the truth is that there are situations that, as a general rule, generate high levels of stress in people. And this question was already studied no more and no less than 55 years ago.
It was as a result of two psychologists, Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe (1976), who developed, in 1967, the “Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale”, also called the “Social Readjustment Scale” (SRRS). This psychological evaluation instrument was obtained from the analysis of more than 5,000 medical records of patients, with the objective of finding some connection between stress and the fact that these people had become ill. The result of this investigation? The 43 situations that generate the most stress for people.
In this article, we talk about the 10 situations that generate the most stress and, above all, we will see the impact they have on a person’s life. Have you ever experienced one of these moments? Let’s see it!
The 10 situations that generate the most stress: how were they discovered?
In this article we address the 10 situations that generate the most stress from the list, according to the results of Holmes and Rahe’s research. To arrive at them, the participants gave a score to each proposed life event or situation based on how stressful it was for the person experiencing it.
In this way, thanks to a score from 0 to 100, it was evaluated how stressful a situation was, but not only because it was negative ‘per se’, but also based on other factors, such as the degree of uncertainty that the situation causes or the change it entails for the person.
And it is that, contrary to what is usually believed, stress can come from positive and also negative situations, or pleasant and also unpleasant. But before we get into it, let’s learn a little more about this scale.
The Holmes and Rahe scale on situations that generate the most stress: its role
This scale that we have mentioned allows professionals, both doctors and psychologists, to apply a comprehensive approach to their patients and to assess both biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of the person, and how these interfere with their well-being.
And it is that within the psychosocial aspects we find stress as a factor that can trigger the disease through complex processes that can involve the endocrine, neurological and immune systems. That is why it is so important to know its causes and begin to address them.
10 situations that can generate more stress
Let’s remember that stress is our body’s reaction to a challenge or demand, which translates into a series of physical and psychological symptoms. It involves a state of accumulated physical and/or emotional tension, which arises when our resources to face the demands of the environment are insufficient.
Stress can come from various situations or thoughts, and although stress at specific moments activates us and puts us on alert (it can be something adaptive), in the long term (chronic stress) it has very harmful consequences for our health.
Below we present the 10 situations that generate the most stress according to the results of Holmes and Rahe and their respective scores (from 0 to 100, with 100 being the maximum stress score):
1 Death of spouse
The average score obtained for this situation was 100, so it can be considered the situation that generates the most stress.
And it is that losing a partner is a very painful situation that implies a readjustment of the new reality, as well as starting a grieving process. And all these are changes that bring pain, uncertainty, sadness, a feeling of loneliness and emptiness, etc. Not to mention the fact of having to learn to live without a person with whom perhaps we have shared most of our lives.
2 Divorce
The average score for this situation was 73, so it can be considered, in general, the second most stressful situation for a person. A divorce also implies a loss, and readjusting to a new reality that is often uncertain and scary. And if there are also children involved, the situation can get complicated.
3 Prison or imprisonment
Going to prison, although it is not something that is experienced in general, is also a highly stressful event, with a score of 63.
This is due to the great impact that this situation has on a person’s life, the break in their routine and of its reality, of having to adapt to unpleasant conditions, not to mention the fact as important as losing freedom, even temporarily, something so precious.
4 Death of a close relative
Also with a score of 63, the death of a loved one is also a very stressful event. It is a complex and painful process, especially if that person is a close relative.
And it is that death, although it is part of life, scares us, and implies the loss of someone dear and the hard task of facing a new reality without that person. It also entails feelings of mourning such as missing, feeling guilty, lost, broken…
5 Personal injury or illness
An injury or experiencing a personal illness is another of the 10 situations that generate the most stress, with a score of 53.
And more if we talk about chronic illnesses and/or those that involve pain. And it is that the fact of living a disease entails feelings of loneliness, uncertainty and fear of suffering.
6 Marriage
Although you might not expect this situation here, the truth is that marriage is also very stressful (with a score of 50).
It generates stress because, even if you live with joy, organizing the wedding, starting a new stage, perhaps new routines with that person, living together, etc., are many changes that can alter us emotionally, both for better and for worse.
7 Dismissal from work
Another situation that generates stress, with an average score of 47 according to the study participants, is the fact of losing a job (more specifically, being fired). We are talking about a loss, and also, when this happens our self-esteem can be affected, at the same time that we begin a stage of job uncertainty but also economic in many cases.
8 Unemployment
Being unemployed is another of these stressful situations, also with a score of 47. This is most of the time a direct consequence of the previous situation, and it also generates a lot of uncertainty and discomfort.
9 Marital reconciliation
A marriage reconciliation, with a score of 45, also creates a lot of stress, as in the case of marriage, both for better and for worse.
And it is that a situation like this implies changes, embarking on a new stage that we can live with fear of having a bad time again, closing wounds and grudges from the past, trusting the other person again in some cases, etc.
10 Retirement
Finally, retirement, also with 45 points, is another highly stressful situation. Because? Because it implies a duel, leaving behind a very long period of our lives and facing a totally new reality.
Also, it entails “filling” time with new occupations and organizing our day to day in a different way, with a new routine.
What can you do if you experience one of the 10 most stressful situations?
And you, what situations generate high levels of stress? Remember that most of the time what causes us suffering or discomfort is not so much the situation itself (what happens to us) but how we live it and interpret it, through the filter of our thoughts and our personality.
That is why it is so important to connect with professionals who accompany us in these complex processes and in these vital moments of our lives and that we can, in some cases, change our filter when interpreting certain aspects of reality, so that it is more adaptive and healthy for our well-being.
