Holmes and Rahe identified 43 situations in life which can cause stress. These relate to big life transitions. Coaching can assist you work through good and not so good life changes, using the coaching process of identifying goals or challenges and creating a path to move forward.
Changes in intimate relationships
Major changes in intimate relationships, such as the death of spouse or life partner, divorce, marital separation or relationship breakdowns. Even positive things such as getting married or reconciling or pregnancy can cause change and result in stress.
Some of these things correlate with an increased risk of family violence and this is also something coaching can help with. Although coaching is not a substitute for counselling, psychotherapy or mental health service, it can provide a platform of support and empowerment, through powerful questioning and use of techniques, strategies and tools, that encourages the victim survivor to focus on the future and identify and explore their own potential and individual design for themselves and their children. (A victim survivor may not be ready for coaching if their immediate safety, physical and psychological needs have not been stabilised).
Family relationships changing
Major changes in family relationships such as the death of a close family member or change in health. Gaining a new family member, can raise stress levels, which can benefit from coaching. Other family relationships which can create significant change are a child leaving home or issues with the in-laws.
Transitions at work
Coaching can be impactful around employment and career. This too also ranks high on creating stress in people. Incidents such as work starting, or ending even by choice, through retirement, or being made redundant. Even changing the type of work or increase in work, or more responsibilities, can create challenges which weren’t anticipated. The coaching process is very useful in breaking these down.
It is noted in the Engagedly Research Report on Employee Engagement and Productivity in the COVID – 19 Era, ” that organisations have rapidly adjusted to a remote work environment but employees feel a high level of anxiety on the impact to their organisations and their job..” (Mentoring Complete -www.engagedly.com).
Financial challenges
While Kerry is not able to provide financial advice, she can help you with the situations that occur as a by-product of the financial issues like a change in living conditions. Kerry is able to work with you to help identify and find agreed upon outcomes to move forward. A large or moderate mortgage, or foreclosure, business readjustments and financial changes are also times that can require extra support.
Planning for a Positive Change
Coaching can be used for planning for a positive change in your future, whether it be a future job or role, planning for when your baby arrives, or when you retire.
Even dietary changes can cause stress which could benefit from coaching.
The Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale
This is the Holmes-Rahe scale with the associated score, indicating its effect. The higher the score the more likely to physically effect you.
| 1Death of spouse (100) |
| 2Divorce (73) |
| 3Marital separation (65) |
| 4Jail term (63) |
| 5Death of close family member (63) |
| 6Personal injury or illness (53) |
| 7Marriage (50) |
| 8Fired at work (47) |
| 9Marital reconciliation (45) |
| 10Retirement (45) |
| 11Change in health of family member (44) |
| 12Pregnancy (40) |
| 13Sex difficulties (39) |
| 14Gain of new family member (39) |
| 15Business readjustment (39) |
| 16Change in financial state (38) |
| 17Death of close friend (37) |
| 18Change to a different line of work (36) |
| 19Change in number of arguments with spouse (35) |
| 20A large mortgage or loan (31) |
| 21Foreclosure of mortgage or loan (30) |
| 22Change in responsibilities at work (29) |
| 23Son or daughter leaving home (29) |
| 24Trouble with in-laws (29) |
| 25Outstanding personal achievement (28) |
| 26Spouse begins or stops work (26) |
| 27Begin or end school/college (26) |
| 28Change in living conditions (25) |
| 29Revision of personal habits (24) |
| 30Trouble with boss (23) |
| 31Change in work hours or conditions (20) |
| 32Change in residence (20) |
| 33Change in school/college (20) |
| 34Change in recreation (19) |
| 35Change in church activities (19) |
| 36Change in social activities (18) |
| 37A moderate loan or mortgage (17) |
| 38Change in sleeping habits (16) |
| 39Change in number of family get-togethers (15) |
| 40Change in eating habits (15) |
| 41Vacation (13) |
| 42Christmas (12) |
| 43Minor violations of the law (11) |