Life is stressful; there’s no doubt about it, and there are certain life events that are more stressful than others. Many people say that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do and it’s not hard to see why, it is a big job and something you need help with, there are so many things to organise, and there’s a time limit to do it all in too. Plus, unless you’re single and live alone, you probably have other people to think about too, their belongings, their rooms, what they’ll be doing on moving day, etc. However, considering this is such a big event moving house doesn’t make it into the Holmes And Rahe Stress Scale. This scale was created by two psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe when they were looking into whether or not stress contributes to illness. The study found that stress can cause severe health problems, and if life events cause stress, then at least you can be a step ahead and try and avoid stress-related illness if you’re aware.
So, what are the most stressful life events? According to the stress scale, they are:
Death of a spouse (or child*)
Divorce
Marital separation
Imprisonment
Death of a close family member
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Dismissal from work
Marital reconciliation
Retirement
The majority of these life events are indeed unfortunate, very sad, and there’s not much that you can do about them to make things any easier. However, in general, stressful situations, there are small things you can do to make the stress more manageable.
Acknowledging your feelings is the first step as ignoring the stress will certainly not help you to deal with it. Once you know you’re stressed, then you can begin to work through it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do anything, sometimes doing nothing is just as effective. Practising meditation and mindfulness is a great way to stay calm, to clear your head and help you to think straight.
Next, you need to seek support – in whatever means this is for you. Whether it’s chatting to your family about what’s going on, hiring a cleaner to help you around the house if whatever’s going on means you can’t face it or reading a book to get some advice. With all of these life events and stressful situations, you’ll find several self-help books, but you’ll also find educational books too, which can help you gather all the information you need. For example, if you have lost your job due to injury and need compensation, it can be tricky to get your head around, so you’ll want to get your hands on some information which explains workers comp so that you’re not out of pocket.
If you can exercise then, this can help to boost your mood and again clear your mind and although it might be the last thing on your mind, eating well is also essential and can help you to keep well and fight off illness caused by stress.
