The Holmes-Rahe stress scale and life in Japan

You've probably heard the saying before that “in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” I'd venture to say that you can add stress to that list. We all have different stressors in our lives, and some of them are amplified by living in Japan. You might be half way around the world from other parts of your family right now, for instance -- and might not know when you'll have the opportunity to see them again. Giant life stressor, right there.

It's part of why I find looking at the Holmes-Rahe stress inventory so interesting. This is a measure of ascertaining the level of stress a person is under, and it was developed by two psychologists. Different stressors have different "points" allocated to them - for instance, the death of a spouse is categorized at 100 points, and even seemingly fun things like major holidays are ranked at 12 points.

Pic Credit: PlusLexia/CC By SA 2.0

So what do the numbers mean? Well, you add up your score, and it's meant to indicate your risk of health-related issues over the next 2 years. Here's the scale:

• 150 points or less: a relatively low amount of life change and a low susceptibility to a stress-induced health breakdown.
• 150 to 300 points: a 50% chance of a health breakdown in the next 2 years.
• 300 points or more: an 80% chance of health breakdown in the next 2 years.

I think it's important to consider the scale when interacting with those around you -- particularly in the current climate. These are incredibly stressful times we're living through, and those who are closest to you often bear the brunt of it.

I think it's extra important to also consider the pressure cooker environment that expat life can put us in. Here's some interesting considerations on the scale that have directly applied to my life at certain points here:

Major change in eating habits: 15 "life stress" points. How many of us have completely changed the way we eat now from what we used to in our home countries? I know I have! Sure, I'm used to those changes now, but it can be overwhelming initially.

Changes in residence: 20 "life stress" points. This one is fairly self explanatory - you move, you have to pack and unpack a ton of stuff, re-route mail, all those fun things. It's bad enough if you're in your home country, but those international moves are something else entirely.

Marriage: 50 "life stress" points. This one is interesting, as many people would say that marriage is a happy life experience, full of joy, promise, and excitement for what lies ahead. It can also be uniquely difficult for many reasons. Expat couples may have to consider things like which country to reside in, how that will impact work/social options, where to raise their potential future children -- the list goes on.

Life will always present stressors, but I think as expats we definitely have some tricky ones to deal with!

You can find the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory Scale here.