Microstress and it's Hidden Toll on Employee Well-Being

Employee well-being policies are generally designed to address unhealthy work culture patterns that visibly deviate from healthy workplace norms and are significantly detrimental. However, some of the key drivers of productivity loss and deteriorating employee well-being are often hidden in the brief, routine, and seemingly harmless interactions that employees are exposed to everyday. The consequent accumulation of these insidious, small stresses, also known as microstresses, often takes an enormous toll on the mental and personal capacity of workers.

According to the Harvard Business Review, microstress can impair an employee's ability to work, affect their professional identity, and cumulatively deplete one's emotional reserve. Common stressors that may lead to microstress include negative or confrontational interactions with co-workers, unhealthy communication standards in the workplace, and increase in one's responsibilities.

What is Microstress?

'Microstresses' are defined as small, subtle, and brief instances of stress that seem harmless and manageable on their own but accrue over time and deplete employees energy levels and mental capacity. 

A few common examples of microstresses include

• Strained relationships with co-workers or managers that cause employees to feel moderately stressed —for instance, interacting with a coworker who constantly reaches out to offload tasks or vent, or confronting a manager after missing a deadline or delivering subpar work.

• Receiving worrying or vague texts from managers—for instance, the rude “hey hanging” practice in workplaces where supervisors send a mere “hey” or “hi” message to their direct reports without following up with the reason for reaching out. While this may be seemingly harmless, recipient employees may be left hanging and worrying about the motive behind the text, triggering a subtle form of stress: microstress.

• Frequent interruptions in the form of work notifications, unscheduled calls, and meetings, combined with the pressure to always remain available, can cumulatively lead to stress and burnout.

• Attending last-minute requests, constantly covering up for coworkers, supporting stressed colleagues, etc. can drain one's emotional reserve. 

• Having to deliver unpleasant news to a coworker or manager can make employees feel nervous and uneasy.

• The debilitating feeling of being responsible for the success, failures, and happiness of employees that a manager supervises.

3 Types of Microstress

Microstresses can be broadly classified into three categories depending on how they affect an individual.

• Effect on personal capacity and competency: These stresses are caused by situations that result in increased workloads, often due to misalignment of roles, vague communication norms, and strained professional relationships. 

• Effect on emotional capacity: Stressors that cause one to worry, feel drained, or trigger negative feelings or thoughts can leave an emotional residue in people. 

• Effect on personal identity: These stresses cause internal friction among people, leading them to question their values or sense of self. For instance, having to pursue tasks that don't align with one's personal values or criticism from leadership.

Stress vs. Microstress

The key difference between stress and microstress is that the former is typically significant, visible, and triggers a normal stress response for the brain to cope. For instance, financial qualms, health issues, work-life balance challenges, etc.

However, microstresses are far less obvious or triggering. They are rarely ever one huge event or a significantly overwhelming interaction but an accumulation of several small and seemingly inconsequential events that end up having a profound impact on an employee's competency and well-being. 

Since microstresses are brief and often go unnoticed, they may not elicit a normal coping response to stress but drain employees emotionally and affect overall mental health.

Tackling Microstress in the Workplace

While not all microstresses employees face may be preventable, eliminating even a few can have a material impact on employee wellness. Managers may empower employees to push back on microstresses through small but effective ways. 

• Encouraging them to switch off notifications during core work hours can avoid unnecessary interruptions and stressors.

• Politely turning down small asks or deprioritizing them can help employees manage their workload better and meet expectations.

• Keeping video turned off during meetings can reduce subtle forms of stress arising due to constant self-monitoring or the pressure to remain attentive and “on.”

• Readjusting relationships with co-workers by setting boundaries, communicating more directly, reducing negative interactions, etc., can help prevent the depletion of one's emotional reserve.

• Microstresses that damage one's self-confidence or sense of identity can be tackled through activities that promote self-reflection and self care. For instance, leveraging relationships that make one feel relaxed, investing in activities like meditation or hobbies like art or reading to release stress. 

Manager's Role in Preventing Microstresses

Managers can play a key role in alleviating the unnecessary stressors in the workplace. Emotional intelligence and trust-building are key for addressing the root causes of the microstresses employees grapple with in their work. 

• Managers and HR may establish guidelines around acceptable communication norms—for instance, ensuring communication is limited to work hours, messages are well-structured and provide clear context, and expectations around response times are clear. They may encourage asynchronous communication—allowing employees to share updates via email or messaging platforms within reasonable time frames and as per their schedules. This approach allows employees to set clear boundaries around their work and protect their mental health.

• Managers may create a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable talking about the stressors in their work days and seek support on how to deal with them. They may listen attentively, demonstrate empathy and regard for people's unique struggles, and offer emotional support. This emotional intelligence in handling sensitive conversations can help build trust, ensuring employees don't feel anxious or fearful when sharing unpleasant news or admitting mistakes and failures. 

• Managers may frequently conduct workplace health assessments through engagement surveys and focus groups. These may be key to evaluating the risk factors for microstresses and understanding their severity and impacts on mental well-being. Doing so can ensure employee wellness is addressed promptly and structurally with data-driven insights that help inform organizational well-being policies.

• Managers may keep a close eye on every employee’s contributions, allocate resources as needed, and have regular candid conversations with their direct reports to ensure they are not overwhelmed or drained due to their workloads.

Managers may also regularly experience microstresses that take a toll on their emotional and mental well-being. This may affect their leadership impact and capacity to support others. Companies must encourage managers to seek support without fear of judgment and provide intensive training, coaching, and guidance that equips them to handle difficult situations.

Conclusion

Microstresses barely register as significant events, but silently put one's minds in a near-constant state of stress. They are often difficult to pinpoint and therefore, harder to eliminate or address. Unhealthy communication norms, misalignment in roles, and negative confrontations and relationships in the workplace can cumulatively drain employees’ mental and emotional capacity and affect their ability to work productively. 

Therefore, employees must mindfully push back against these insidious stressors. Further, companies must employ best practices to reduce the amount of microstresses in the workplace through support and well-being policies. The ability to create psychological safety in the workplace, emotional intelligence, and empathy are key leadership traits that may help reduce unnecessary stressors in the workplace.