I read an article published a year or so ago today. When it was published doesn't really matter, but its content does, which is why I'm writing about it here.
The article talks about the impact of micro-stresses on your health. What I take micro-stresses to mean are things like: being late for an appointment, or having an awkward social interaction, or having to pretend to pay attention to someone you don't know in traffic, or losing your glasses, or having to pretend to pay attention. Maybe even stubbing your toe. Well, these micro-stresses can accumulate and negatively impact your health, as the author affirms throughout the article by citing an American psychiatrist.
Psychiatrists are probably good authorities to refer to when it comes to talking about stress, so the article didn't turn me off, which, again, is why I'm writing about it here.
I can relate to the micro-stress thing. The major stress, things like work and relationships, I'm used to. But when the minor things start accumulating, they can turn into something pretty major, and your health can suffer. Bad habits creep in. In my case, junk food is definitely at the top of the list, and because they're habits, you can stay stuck with them, which in my case, means I'm way overweight.
As mentioned in the article, because you are more likely to get support from others when you have major stressors (think like a broken leg or something), when the minor stressors take over, you often get no support. The four tips Dr Samantha Boardman (the psych) gives to counter that are:
- Imagine what the situation you're currently dealing with will look like a year from now. I like this one. I had a therapist mention this one years ago and I do find myself using it in the present moment when I think of it.
- Laugh. I really need to do this more. Full stop.
- Go outside. Touch grass, basically. Literally too. Yeah, I like this one because I do my best to go out in nature.
- Don't take it personally. Kinda related to the first tip in my opinion. I think I could work on this more. I can get caught up in my own head bubble pretty easily. But the psych seems to be saying that having a positive mindset is what's important.
Perhaps these can be useful to you as well.
If I don't publish this now, I might start rewriting this entence again.
Apologies for the ridiculous paragraphs. Still just me bloggin' away over here...
