[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Microstress can be a major pain in our day-to-day lives.
But what exactly is microstress? And how can you manage it?
First, let’s start with the definition. Rob Cross, professor of global leadership at Babson College and co-author of The Microstress Effect, describes microstress as “the hidden epidemic of small moments of
stress that infiltrate both our work and personal lives.”
“Because each individual microstress is so small, it doesn’t trigger the normal stress response in our brains to help us deal with it. Instead, the microstress embeds in our minds, accumulating along with scores of other microstresses,” Cross
writes on his website.
Cross goes on to say that the long-term effects of microstress are “devastating.” This affliction creates an invisible burden, harms our physical and emotional health and contributes to a weakening of our overall well-being, he explains.
Fortunately, the triggers of microstress aren’t a mystery. They’re our friends, relatives and colleagues, according to Cross.
Types of microstress
In their book, Cross and co-author Karen Dillon identify 14 common types of microstress. (In other words, two for every day of the week.) The duo lump those 14 types into three categories,
according to the Harvard Business Review:
1. Microstress that drains your capacity to get things done.
The origins of these microstresses include uncertainty about the reliability of other people, unpredictable behavior from someone occupying an authority position and increases in work and home responsibilities.
2. Microstress that depletes your emotional reserves.
These microstresses disrupt our sense of peace, fortitude and resilience, all of which contribute to our ability to focus, set priorities and manage conflict. Examples include confrontational conversations and political maneuvering.
3. Microstress that challenges your identity.
These microstresses spark doubts about not being the person you want to be, which can diminish your motivation and sense of purpose. Among these stresses are attacks on your sense of confidence, worth or control, and difficult interactions with relatives or friends.
How to manage microstress
In the Harvard Business Review article, Cross and Dillon outline three ways to manage microstress:
Push back in practical ways.
Some of the ways to accomplish this are figuring out how to say “no” to small asks, managing technology-spawned interruptions and reshaping relationships to minimize microstress.
Be aware of microstress that you’re inflicting on others.
“When we create microstress for others, it inevitably boomerangs in one form or another,” the co-authors say. An example of this: Microstress prompts you to lash out at your partner, which triggers anger or resentment that later comes back to bite you.
Brush it off.
In some cases, we allow microstressors to get the best of us. “You can learn to keep some of them in perspective and let things that bother you just roll off your back,” the co-authors advise.
In their book, Cross and Dillon note that people who embrace resilience are able to create detours around microstress by latching onto other people’s ideas.
“And by doing this rapidly in small moments, they keep microstresses from magnifying. Improve your resilience by building ties with people who can help you break down problems into smaller and more manageable chunks, find new ways to make progress on challenging tasks, and motivate you to act,”
they write.
In a
LinkedIn post, Laura Marston, people director at tech company Voodoo Park, offers several more suggestions for combating microstress:
- Practice self-care. Carve out time for joyful, relaxing activities such as exercise, meditation or reading.
- Communicate openly. In your relationships and your interactions with other people, be clear about your needs and concerns. “Clear communication can help prevent misunderstandings and reduce the sources of stress,” Marston writes.
- Seek balance. Don’t burden yourself with too many responsibilities at the expense of your physical and emotional needs.
- Emphasize the positive. Concentrate on the good things about your relationships and your interactions with others, even when those people are in the wrong.
What can happen if you don’t manage microstress?
If you fail to properly manage microstress, you might build up a macro level of stress. And you simply might be unhappy.
Beyond mega-stress and unhappiness, you run the risk of burnout if you don’t adequately address microstress.
Cross and Dillon emphasize that the intertwined nature of our work and home lives means we’re constantly “on call.” The link becomes more fragile, they say, since you’re never dealing with only one or two microstresses at a time.
As such, they write in the Harvard Business Review, every week “becomes yet another week you just have to survive — and the cycle continues for months on end. We find ourselves teetering on the edge of burnout almost all the time, and we can’t quite put our finger on why.”
For many of us, microstresses hold the potential to evolve into burnout. Although the data doesn’t fully capture the U.S. population, 41% of American workers reported in a
2022 survey by the Future Forum that they were suffering from burnout.
“Although stress can come from many sources, work stress particularly leads to burnout,” the
American Stress Institute says.
“Stress is a natural part of life. In the right amount, it can push you to perform at your best. But too little or too much is not good. Also, not enough leads to low motivation, and too much can have adverse effects on your health and happiness.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167608" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1688313230417{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/new-nordic-ashwagandha-vegan-gummies"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167609" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1688313272315{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/olly-goodbye-stress-gummies"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="167607" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1688313287839{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/natures-way-calmaid-with-lavender-helps-reduce-stress-and-tension"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
