How you experience and manage stress influences your ability to enjoy life. Some enviable people handle stressful situations with grace, while others tend to become bogged down in despair, worry and fret. Some stressful events are unavoidable, of course, such as the proverbial "death and taxes". Other stressful situations can be avoided, limited or managed. The better you become at managing stress, the better your chances of a healthier and more enjoyable life.
Researchers have ranked 51 major life events according to the degree of stress they tend to cause and the extent to which that stress influences risk of illness or psychiatric disorders.The greater the number of life events we experience, the higher our risk of developing a problematic degree of stress. These stressors are listed below, from the most to least stressful: 1. Death of spouse or mate 2. Death of a close family member 3. Major injury or illness 4. Detention in jail or other institution 5. Major injury or illness in a close family member 6. Foreclosure on a loan or mortgage 7. Divorce 8. Being a victim of crime 9. Being a victim of police brutality 10. Infidelity 11. Domestic violence or sexual abuse 12. Separation or reconciliation with a spouse or mate 13. Being fired, laid off or unemployed 14. Experiencing financial problems or difficulties 15. Death of a close friend 16. Surviving a disaster 17. Becoming a single parent 18. Assuming responsibility for a sick or elderly loved one 19. Loss or major reduction in health insurance or benefits 20. Self or a close family member being arrested for violating the law 21. Major disagreement over child support, custody or visitation 22. Experiencing or being involved in an auto accident 23. Being disciplined or demoted at work 24. Dealing with unwanted pregnancy 25. Having an adult child move in or moving in with an adult child 26. Having a child with a behavior or learning problem 27. Experiencing discrimination or sexual harassment at work 28. Attempting to modify addictive behavior 29. Discovering or attempting to modify addictive behavior in a close family member 30. Employer reorganization or downsizing 31. Dealing with infertility or miscarriage 32. Getting married or remarried 33. Changing employers or careers 34. Failing to obtain or qualify for a mortgage 35. Pregnancy of self or of spouse or mate 36. Experiencing discrimination or harassment outside the workplace 37. Release from jail 38. Spouse or mate begins or ceases work outside the home 39. Major disagreement with boss or coworker 40. Change in residence 41. Finding appropriate child care or day care 42. Experiencing a large unexpected monetary gain 43. Changing positions (transfer or promotion) 44. Gaining a new family member 45. Changing work responsibilities 46. Having a child leave home 47. Obtaining a home mortgage 48. Obtaining a major loan other than a home mortgage 49. Retirement 50. Beginning or ceasing formal education 51.Receiving a ticket for violating the law