Understanding “The Microstress Effect”

Microstresses are brief bursts of stress caused by ordinary business or personal life events such as a client complaint, a teammate missing a deadline, or even unexpected traffic that happens so frequently that you do not even realize them. However, even slight concerns can have a huge influence on your mental and physical well-being. Since these pressures are, by definition, micro, they frequently go unnoticed or are readily dismissed. However, if you are constantly subjected to dozens of microstresses, the cumulative effect can be lethal. As a result, this HBR IdeaCast podcast episode addresses the microstress effect and how, if left unchecked, microstress can lead to mistakes, weariness, destroyed relationships, and poor mental and physical health.

Defining the distinction between stress and microstress, the episode indicates that stress is something we recognize, such as losing a job or being ill. People typically know how to respond to them. However, microstresses, according to the episode, are events that occur so rapidly that our brains fail to detect them. The worst part about the microstress effect is that, although it affects us, we lack the words to express our frustration. Most of the time, we consider them to be a part of our lives, which leads our minds to feel that this is not even anything that has to be addressed. The episode implies that, while these may be little incidents, a series of them might add up to be big at the end of the day, causing our bodies and brains to fatigue. The episode divides microstress into three types:

1. Stresses that sap our energy and productivity
2. Emotionally charged stresses that cause anxiety
3. Identity-damaging stressors 

To prevent the microstress effect, the episode proposes that we first learn to respond to microstress in a concrete way, similar to how we would respond to significant stress. Second, according to the episode, we must be aware of the potential stress we may be giving other people. Finally, the episode indicates that we should focus on only the microstresses that require attention rather than fretting about everything that happens to or around us. 

While most of us think of burnout as a result of significant stresses in our personal or professional lives, microstresses are causing considerable damage while remaining unnoticed. The preceding text addresses the microstress effect and a few practical microstress management solutions.