How tiny stresses pile up — and what to do about it

when we get hit Big bad news, like a layoff or a nasty diagnosis, often prompts us to take action to address the issue.

• But the little things that irritate us are A brief message from the manager, a sink full of dishes, etc. totals. And ultimately, it has a huge impact on our mental and physical health.

Important reasons: Most of us tend to ignore the little stresses and focus on the big things, but we also need to be careful of the little things.

• Professor at Babson College, upcoming book About micro stress. “They are all relatively small.”
• But even if we forget them, our bodies don’t, says Cross. cause something.
• Micro-stresses can make you feel exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day, even if you don’t have any major problems.

Case in point: one interesting study They found that even relatively mild social stress, when experienced within 2 hours of a meal, disrupted the meal’s metabolism, with an effect equivalent to adding 104 calories to the meal.

what to do: We can all be more aware of the micro-stresses in our lives and take steps to deal with them.

1. Have big conversations about small (ish) things: If your boss routinely annoys you about not communicating deadlines, or if your child is stressed by hours spent replying to messages, consider bringing it up in a larger conversation. You’ll be amazed at how much you can feel better by eradicating a small but recurring stressor.
2. Diversify your life. According to Cross’ research, people with fuller personal lives filled with family, friends and hobbies are less likely to be affected by work-related micro-stress.
3. meditate as we reportedBy practicing meditation and mindfulness, you can clear your mind and relieve stress to a greater or lesser degree.