2: Getting Started - Assessments

Princeton U Matter

The Princeton UMatter Wellness Self-Assessment prompts the user to consider their current state in 7 different dimensions including: emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.

Take the assessment using one of the links below:

• Electronic access to Princeton UMatter Wellness Self-Assessment (recommended for ease of use of results)
• Print version of Princeton UMatter Wellness Self-Assessment

Social Readjustment Rating Scale OR Students’ Stress Rating Scale

The Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) is an updated assessment based off the 1967 Holmes and Rahe Life Stress Inventory. Its goal is to measure the impact of various life events and how susceptible you might be to a stress-induced health breakdown (Wallace et al., 2023). Similarly, the Students' Stress Rating Scale (SSRS) is a 35-item variation on the Holmes and Rahe assessment tailored to college students and stresses that they might be facing (Balamurugan & Kumaran, 2008). These assessments can be valuable in helping you identify significant events that have the possibility of affecting your wellness, as well as giving you an opportunity to think about modifiable vs non-modifiable stressors.

Pick one of the following to complete:

• Electronic access to Social Readjustment Rating Scale (recommended for ease of use of results)
• Print version of Social Readjustment Rating Scale OR Print version of Students' Stress Rating Scale Rating Scale (no electronic version available)

Hassles & Uplifts

The Hassles and Uplifts Scales (HUS) was constructed as a tool to focus on relatively minor events that happen in everyday life. This was a response to, in large part, the significance in psychological testing that the Social Readjustment Rating Scale had taken in measuring major life events (Kanner et al., 1981). While large stressors can and will happen, it is often the daily interactions or choices that impact our mood and our stress levels.

Take the assessment using the link below:

Print version of Hassles and Uplifts Scale

Note: Please read the full directions for completing the assessment to ensure you are completing the assessment accurately. After assigning a score of 0-3 for each item, add the score up for all Hassles, and then add up the score for all Uplifts.

Symptoms of Stress Table

Stress can cause many physical symptoms, some of which may be more obvious than others. The Symptoms of Stress Table can be used to identify what stress is doing to the body. Results can prompt goal setting related to those symptoms (Sairanen et al., 2024). This assessment has elements of the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory (C-SOSI; Carlson & Thomas, 2007), but it is important to note that this assessment is not as comprehensive as that validated tool. The C-SOSI is primarily used by researchers to analyze data on stress symptoms in specific populations, whereas this Symptoms of Stress table is intended as a self-assessment to help identify different ways stress may be showing up in your body.

Take the assessment (found on page 2) using the link below.

Symptoms of Stress Table

To quantify this table, add up the scores as follows for each answer: Almost all day, every day (6 pts.); Once or twice daily (5 pts.); Every night or day (4 pts.); 2-3 times per week (3 pts.); Once a week (2 pts.); Once a month (1 pt.); Never (0 pts.). Record your total score in the assessment summary table.

Resting Heart Rate

Your heart rate can be used as one indicator of health and provides a quantitative piece of data to track. Many things can impact your heart rate, such as fitness level, temperature, and body position. For this course, it is particularly helpful to note that your emotions can impact your heart rate (American Heart Association, 2025). Once you know what your resting heart rate tends to be, you can use that as a gauge to analyze if stress or emotions may be impacting you physically in any given moment.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Find your pulse on your wrist. Take your heart rate for 60 seconds. (Photo by BruceBlaus from Wikimedia Commons)

Recommendations for tracking your resting heart rate this week:

• Find a consistent time that you can check your heart rate each day. Ideally, this would be at the start of each day.
  • Note: If you wear a fitness tracking device, the device may do this for you.
• Take your heart rate. If you are not familiar with taking your heart rate or could use a refresher, here are some step-by-step instructions from the Mayo Clinic (2024).
• If you notice that you are feeling stressed or are experiencing heightened emotions, take a moment to check your heart rate and note any changes from your resting heart rate.

Key Points

• Testing, measuring, and understanding yourself (i.e., assessment) is the first important step in developing a plan for wellness and reduction of stress.
• Stress can trigger physiological changes like an increased pulse. Symptoms of stress can include headache, muscle tension, insomnia, and a host of other warning signs. Listen to what your body is telling you as you continue through this course.
• Perception is key when assessing stress. The same situation can elicit a very different stress response in different individuals due to the individual's perception of the experience. It is okay if you experience something differently than others around you! Be honest with yourself so you can be most responsive to your needs.
• For a balanced picture of wellness, consider all dimensions of wellness including emotional, environmental, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.
• No single assessment, survey, or tool can tell the whole picture when it comes to assessing your wellness. Consider the results from all of these assessments to gain a better understanding of your personal wellness needs.