Why are you stressed, and what can you do about it?

The Harvard Business Review released an article last week detailing their decade-long research on micro-stresses and how they infiltrate our lives. The idea is that these stresses are part of every day, however, we don’t stop to consider how these accumulate.

The volume, diversity, and velocity of relational touch points (the way we routinely communicate and collaborate with others) we all experience in a typical day is beyond anything we have seen in history, and cumulatively they are taking an enormous toll on our health and our productivity at work.

Harvard Business Review, 2020

But it’s not all doom and gloom!

The article provides us with a table to establish the cause of our stresses. Divided into three categories, with a number of potential causes within each, the options range from ‘confrontational conversations’ to ‘disruptions to your network’. Luckily, the authors have identified how to mitigate these micro-stresses, suggesting that ‘we don’t have to accept micro-stresses as destiny’.

Isolate and act on two to three micro-stresses
Invest in relationships and activities that keep the less consequential micro-stresses in perspective
Distance or disconnect from stress-creating people or activities

Confronting what causes us stress, and doing something about it has never been more necessary – well worth a read!
https://hbr.org/2020/07/dont-let-micro-stresses-burn-you-out

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“I Hate My Job” - What to Do Before You Quit

By Sarah Lunders • June 10, 2025

If you’ve found yourself thinking, “I hate my job,” lately, you might be unsure about what’s behind it, or what to do next. Maybe it’s creeping Sunday night dread. Maybe your role hasn’t evolved, but your priorities have. Or maybe the work’s become repetitive, or the culture has shifted in a way that doesn’t align with you. Whatever the reason, something just isn’t sitting right—and that’s worth paying attention to. We get it. As recruiters, we hear this all the time from people who are feeling unsettled and unsure of their next step. But before you hand in your resignation or start firing off job applications, it’s worth taking a pause and looking at what’s really causing that feeling. Here’s what we’d recommend before making any big decisions: