Even happy changes add stress, so plan your next big transition on purpose

Key takeaways

• The 1967 Social Readjustment Rating Scale gave points to welcome events like marriage and pregnancy, and a 2023 update found people now rate most life changes as harder than raters did in the 1960s¹.
• Across more than 300 studies, 34% of unemployed people had psychological problems, compared with 16% of people with jobs, and long-term studies suggest job loss helps cause the distress².
• Retirement was tied to about 20% lower depression risk on average in a 2021 review, but other studies found higher risks of some illnesses, so the effect depends on the person³⁴⁵.
• New parents can call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262, any time, in English or Spanish⁹.
• A simple 90-day plan, which names what’s ending, keeps a few anchors and drops extra demands, can help you spot trouble early, and NIMH lists signs that mean it’s time for professional help¹¹.

For their 1967 scale, researchers Holmes and Rahe asked 394 adults to rate how much readjusting each of dozens of life events demands, compared with getting married¹. Marriage was set as the yardstick. On the final scale it was worth 50 points, and the death of a spouse topped the list at 100¹.

The result was the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. It listed 43 events, each worth a set number of “life change units”¹.

The surprise was what made the list. Pregnancy and marriage carried points. So did a vacation and Christmas¹. The message was that change itself, welcome or not, asks something of you.

More than 50 years later, researchers at the University of Essex in England had adults rate the events again, analyzing answers from 540 people¹. Scores rose by about 28% on average. Pregnancy climbed from 40 points to about 65, and foreclosure on a home roughly doubled¹.

The scale has real limits, which we cover below. But its central idea holds up: transitions add up. A move, a new baby, a retirement or a layoff each asks you to rebuild routines and relationships, and when two or three arrive together, the load grows.

This guide covers what research shows about specific transitions, and a plan for getting through your next one.

A 1967 checklist started the research, and its flaws taught as much

The scale’s method was simple. Raters compared each event with marriage, which was set at 500, and the averages were divided by 10 to give each event its points¹. You add up the points for the events you’ve recently lived through.

In Rahe’s later work, a yearly total near 150 points went with staying well over the following year, while people who got sick had often piled up more than 300¹.

Later research cooled the excitement. By one review’s estimate, life events account for at most 9% of the variation in who falls ill¹. Even Rahe’s own group said stressful events help set the stage for illness but can’t bring it on by themselves¹.

Critics found other problems, according to the Essex team’s review¹:

• Some items, such as changes in sleep habits, may be symptoms of stress rather than causes.
• Fixed points ignore what an event means to you. A divorce can be a disaster or a relief.
• Some items aged badly, such as a mortgage over $10,000, and Christmas doesn’t fit every culture.
• Critics said the original raters left out people over 70, though that point is disputed.
• Some research suggests unwanted, uncontrollable events weigh more than welcome ones.

The 2023 update kept the scale comparable with the original while modernizing the wording¹. Raters were mostly UK residents aged 18 to 84¹.

The team added an optional item for living alone, worth 38 points. Raters also proposed three new events: mental health difficulties, the death of a pet and emigrating to another country, each rated about 69 to 77 points¹. The study had no specific funding¹.

The scale is copyrighted, so we don’t reproduce its list. Treat online versions as a conversation starter, not a forecast of your health.

Losing a job hurts mental health, and the safety net matters

Job loss is one of the best-studied transitions. In 2009, psychologists Karsten Paul and Klaus Moser pooled 237 studies that compared people at one point in time and 87 that followed people over time².

Unemployed people had more distress, depression, anxiety and physical stress symptoms, and lower self-esteem and well-being². The share with psychological problems was 34% among the unemployed, roughly double the 16% among people with jobs².

Does a struggling person simply lose a job more easily? That happens, but the authors found the effect weak². Studies that followed people over time, along with natural experiments, pointed to unemployment itself causing distress².

Who you are and where you live mattered. On average, job loss weighed more on men and on blue-collar workers². It also hit harder in countries with thinner unemployment protection or wider gaps between rich and poor².

There’s good news, too. Even for people who stayed jobless, programs built for the unemployed brought distress down a moderate amount².

The practical lesson: apply for unemployment benefits right away, keep a daily structure, and look for a job club or workforce program in your area.

Retirement helps some people and strains others

Retirement sounds like the reward at the end. The research is mixed.

In 2021, a team headed by A. Odone pooled 41 studies with 557,111 people³. On average, retirement went with a lower risk of depression, a drop of nearly 20%³. The link was even stronger in the best-quality long-term studies³.

But the results varied enormously from study to study³.

Other research points the other way. Using a long-running English study of older adults, researcher Stefanie Behncke reported in 2012 that retiring raised the risk of being diagnosed with a chronic condition, including heart disease and cancer⁴. The study also found the effects differed a lot from person to person⁴.

A 2021 working paper from the University of York, an unpublished draft rather than a peer-reviewed study, summed up the field: studies of retirement’s effect on health often conflict⁵. In the authors’ own analysis of English data, retirement raised the chance of depression by about 2 percentage points, with bigger effects for women and blue-collar workers⁵. Retirees who rarely got moderate or vigorous exercise were more likely to become depressed⁵.

The takeaway is to plan the parts a paycheck used to provide: a reason to get up, people to see and a reason to move.

New parents face a stacked transition, with a hotline built for it

A new baby brings joy, sleep loss, body changes, money pressure and a new identity, all at once.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks new mothers through its Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, or PRAMS. In 2018 PRAMS data, about 13% of U.S. women reported depressive symptoms after giving birth, according to a 2020 CDC report summarized in JAMA¹³. Rates ran from about 1 in 10 in Illinois to nearly 1 in 4 in Mississippi¹³.

An earlier CDC analysis found 11.5% across 27 states in 2012⁶. In the 13 states with data going back to 2004, the rate had fallen from 14.8% to 9.8%⁶⁷.

These figures come from two screening questions, not a full diagnosis, so they may miss some cases⁶⁷. Most studies over recent decades have put postpartum depression at 10% to 15%⁷.

One risk group stands out for this article. Rates were higher among women who had three or more stressful life events in the year before giving birth⁶. That’s the stacking effect Holmes and Rahe were trying to capture.

NIMH draws a line between the “baby blues” and depression. Brief, mild ups and downs in the first two weeks are the blues⁸. When low mood is intense, or still there after two weeks, it may be postpartum depression, which generally doesn’t lift without treatment⁸. Most cases start between the first and second month after delivery⁸.

Treatment works. Talk therapies with good evidence include cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, and antidepressants are an option, according to NIMH⁸. The FDA has also approved two drugs made specifically for postpartum depression⁸.

Loved ones may spot the change before the new parent does. NIMH says they can nudge a new parent toward a provider, get them to appointments and take over some of the baby care and housework⁸.

Divorce, moves and an empty house hide losses inside changes

Divorce and marital separation ranked near the top of the scale in 1967 and again in 2023¹. Changing where you live was on the original list, and the 2023 raters suggested adding emigration¹.

What these transitions share is that one change sets off others. A divorce can mean a move, a new budget, new routines for children and a smaller circle of friends. Each counts on its own.

Children leaving home, often called the “empty nest,” can bring relief and grief at the same time. Both are normal.

A useful habit for any of these is to name what’s ending before rushing into what’s next. Many transitions start with a loss, even a chosen one, and losses deserve attention.

That idea sits at the heart of William Bridges’ transition model, which splits a change into three phases: an ending, an in-between “neutral zone” and a new beginning¹⁴. It turns up in workplace training; Cal Poly Humboldt, for one, teaches it to staff as a guide to the human side of change¹⁴. But it’s a framework, not a tested treatment. The course listing cites no research behind it, and we found no published trials of whether it helps.

Your 90-day transition plan

This plan is our own design, built from the research above. It hasn’t been tested as a package. Fill it out on paper, ideally with someone you trust.

Step 1: Take a change count. List every major change in the past 12 months and the next 3. Use these areas: home, work, money, relationships, health and family. This is a quick way to see how many changes are stacking up at once, not the Holmes and Rahe scale.

Step 2: Fill in the plan.

Part of the plan	Questions to answer	Example: a move for a new job
What’s ending	What am I losing, even if I chose this?	Neighbors, a favorite trail, a commute I knew
What stays	Which routines can I keep exactly?	Wake time, Sunday call with my sister, evening walk
Demands to drop or delay	What can wait 90 days?	Kitchen remodel, volunteer committee
Supports to line up	Who helps with what?	Friend helps unpack; new coworker shows me around
Warning signs	What would tell me I’m not OK?	Two weeks of poor sleep, appetite changes or lost interest in things I enjoy11
Check-ins	When will I review this?	Day 30, day 60, day 90

Step 3: Protect your anchors. NIMH’s self-care advice fits a transition well: keep a regular sleep schedule, eat regular meals, walk about 30 minutes a day and stay in touch with people who can help¹¹.

Step 4: Lower the load on purpose. NIMH suggests deciding what must get done now, what can wait, and saying no to new tasks when you’re overloaded¹¹. If you can, don’t schedule two big optional changes in the same season.

Step 5: Use your check-ins. At day 30, 60 and 90, ask what’s better, what’s still hard, and whether any warning sign has lasted two weeks or more¹¹.

If one has, it’s time to call someone (see below).

What the evidence shows

Claim	Evidence level	What studies found
A life-change score predicts your own illness	Not enough evidence	Life events explain a small share of who gets sick1
Job loss harms mental health	Strong evidence	324 studies, with long-term data pointing to cause2
Support programs ease distress during unemployment	Promising but early	Moderate benefit in pooled studies2
Retirement lowers depression risk	Promising but early	Lower risk on average, but results vary and some studies conflict345
Therapy and medicine treat postpartum depression	Strong evidence	Listed as evidence-based treatments by NIMH8
Stressful events before birth go with more postpartum symptoms	Promising but early	Higher rates in CDC survey data; not proof of cause6
Bridges’ three-phase model helps people through a transition	Not enough evidence	Used in workplace training; no published trials found14

Change is part of nature, and going it alone is optional

Natural-health readers often look to the seasons for guidance. Nothing in nature stays the same, and growth often follows a shedding. Seeing a transition that way can bring some peace.

The research adds a practical point. Even good changes take energy, and stress adds up across life areas. Respecting your limits during a transition is a form of prevention.

Self-reliance and asking for help aren’t opposites. Lining up support before you need it is planning, not weakness.

When transition stress needs professional care

Stress during a big change is normal. NIMH advises seeking professional help if you have severe or distressing symptoms lasting two weeks or more, such as¹¹:

• trouble sleeping;
• changes in appetite or weight you didn’t plan;
• trouble getting out of bed because of your mood;
• trouble concentrating;
• losing interest in things you usually enjoy;
• being unable to handle your usual tasks;
• feeling irritable, frustrated or restless.

A primary care provider is a good place to start and can refer you to a mental health professional¹¹.

After a birth, see a health care provider for symptoms such as hopelessness, trouble bonding with the baby, or thoughts of harming yourself or the baby⁸. Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, paranoia or confusion can signal postpartum psychosis, an emergency: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room⁸.

If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org¹¹. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7¹¹. In a life-threatening situation, call 911¹¹.

Questions readers ask

The bottom line

The 1967 scale got one big thing right: change of any kind asks something of you, and changes add up. It overpromised when it came to predicting illness.

Each transition has its own pattern. Job loss carries real mental health risk, retirement cuts both ways, and new parents face a stacked change with dedicated help. A short plan that names what’s ending, keeps your anchors and lowers other demands gives you a way to notice trouble early, and to reach out when it lasts.

Keep exploring: chronic stress effects, dealing with uncertainty and calming daily routine.

Related reading

• Not knowing can feel worse than bad news, and tolerance for it can grow
• Most people stay steady after trauma, and resilience courses add less than promised
• Chronic stress adds up in the body, and two famous studies need a second look
• A calming routine needs a few anchors, not a 5 a.m. checklist
• The right kind of help beats more help, and giving it counts too

Sources

1. Wallace D, Cooper NR, Sel A, Russo R. “The social readjustment rating scale: Updated and modernised.” PLOS ONE, 2023;18(12):e0295943 (University of Essex repository copy). repository.essex.ac.uk
2. Paul KI, Moser K. “Unemployment impairs mental health: Meta-analyses.” Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2009;74:264–282 (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg record). cris.fau.de
3. Odone A, Gianfredi V, Vigezzi GP, et al. “Does retirement trigger depressive symptoms? A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2021;30:e77 (University of Milan record). air.unimi.it
4. Behncke S. “Does retirement trigger ill health?” Health Economics, 2012;21(3):282–300 (IZA Discussion Paper 4253). iza.org
5. Martinez-Jimenez M, Hollingsworth B, Zucchelli E. “Health, Retirement and Economic Shocks.” HEDG Working Paper 21/11, Department of Economics, University of York, July 2021. york.ac.uk
6. Ko JY, Rockhill KM, Tong VT, Morrow B, Farr SL. “Trends in Postpartum Depressive Symptoms — 27 States, 2004, 2008, and 2012.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC, February 17, 2017;66(6):153–158. cdc.gov
7. Nonacs R. “Is Postpartum Depression on the Decline?” MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, February 27, 2017. womensmentalhealth.org
8. National Institute of Mental Health. “Perinatal Depression.” NIH Publication No. 23-MH-8116, revised 2023. nimh.nih.gov
9. Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. “National Maternal Mental Health Hotline.” Accessed October 2026. mchb.hrsa.gov
10. Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. “National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Frequently Asked Questions.” Last reviewed November 2023. mchb.hrsa.gov
11. National Institute of Mental Health. “Caring for Your Mental Health.” NIH, last reviewed April 2026. nimh.nih.gov
12. Postpartum Support International. “PSI HelpLine.” Accessed October 2026. postpartum.net
13. Kuehn BM. “Postpartum Depression Screening Needs More Consistency” (News From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on 2018 PRAMS data). JAMA, 2020;323(24):2454. jamanetwork.com
14. Cal Poly Humboldt Training & Professional Development. “Navigating Change by Leading Transition: Applying Bridges’ Model” (course listing). Accessed October 2026. humboldt.edu