Clinical Wellness Director at Huntington Health

Which of these micro-stressors can you relate to:

● Missing lunch because you are so busy.

● Being yelled at by angry visitors/customers.

● Going to work on your day off.

● Back-to-back virtual meetings give you no time to pee.

● Family discord.

● Not knowing when you had your last physical or dental exam.

● Driving white-knuckled on your commute.

● Ditching friends and hobbies that bring you joy.

● Skipping your spiritual practices.

● Overcommitting (too much to do, too little time).

Psychology professionals use the term micro-stressors to capture the tiny moments of stress caused by routine actions, personally and professionally, that are so routine you barely notice them. Likely you said yes to many of the examples listed above which does not even include major life stressors like loss of a loved one, divorce, moving, pregnancy, illnesses, and finances. It’s easy to call out a major stressor and understand its impact. What’s also easy is to overlook the micro-stressors that seem manageable at the moment but, as they accrue, have an enormous punch to your well-being.

There is an old fable that explains if you throw a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out. But if you place a frog into room temperature water and slowly heat it to boiling, the frog won't notice and slowly cook to death. Using that analogy, are the micro-stressors in your life unknowingly boiling you?

First, the good news- you have incredible biological skills that allow you to face challenges as they arise. Your brain is constantly trying to budget the cumulative effect of stressors. Your body is designed to adapt internally (foreign bacteria and viruses) and externally (temperature and climate).  However, the bad news- your biology is in survivor mode, which means it’s even more vital that you take the reins when it comes to the quality of your life. In other words, shift surviving to thriving.

"By taking charge of your life, you intentionally shift from reacting to responding."

Thriving means being aware of what’s happening, recognizing opportunities, and responding rather than reacting to life events. Your biology is reacting. Responding is a conscious effort that comes in the form of connecting to your passions, dreams, interests, humor, compassion for others, and the self-care you purposefully give yourself.

By taking charge of your life, you intentionally shift from reacting to responding. When responding to the micro-stressors in your life, understand you can’t always avoid them (traffic, mean people, work responsibilities) but you can decide how you respond to them. 

As we roll into our Self-care September campaign here at Huntington Health, challenge yourself to practice more self-nurturing intentionally. This can encompass activities and practices that promote physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being. It involves deliberate actions to care for oneself, recharge, and maintain a healthy, happy life.

I invite you to look at the above list again and intentionally focus on one item this month to bring down the stress-temperature in your life and avoid becoming that boiling frog.