"Help! Every little thing gets to me!"

Tiny tensions that build up over time, aka 'micro stresses,' can create major anxiety. Here, simple ways to take back control and invite true calm

- KRISTINA MASTROCOLA

Tap awareness

See ‘invisible tension’

Small moments of stress—from disagreeing with a colleague to getting into a traffic jam— accumulate almost imperceptibly, until suddenly we feel like we’re drowning, notes expert Robert Cross, Ph.D. This tension is called “micro stress,” and despite its name, it has huge ramifications for our well-being. “A micro stress might be anything that drains our capacity to get work done, like interruptions; depletes our emotional reserves, like concern for someone we care about; or a moment that shifts how we set out to be in the world, like a testy interaction with someone.” Just knowing where these tensions tend to come from is key.

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