Small Stressors Add Up

You’ve probably heard you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff (and that it’s all small stuff). The authors of the sweet little book with this title have surely made truckloads of money helping us all get perspective on our problems.

At the risk of sounding alarmist, I say maybe you should sweat the small stuff. Here’s why.

Psychologists categorize stressful events by their impact. Overwhelming, irreversible events like the death of a loved one or loss of a limb are considered traumatic. Smaller stressors like losing your wallet, missing the train or burning up dinner while you blog are called daily hassles. They can happen once – you can’t lose the same wallet twice, right? – or they can be chronic, like the traffic jam you face every day on your morning commute.

Of course traumatic events are traumatic. They can have long-lasting effects on your health and well-being. But most people bounce back to their pre-trauma levels of well-being much quicker than you might imagine. Studies of prison inmates and accident victims who’ve become paraplegic show the human emotion system is remarkably resilient.

Daily stress may be harder to handle. Although any single hassle is like a raindrop (annoying but not likely to drown you), taken together, daily hassles can feel like Chinese water torture. Their effects accumulate. And there will likely be more of them tomorrow. That’s why they’re called daily hassles. Over time, minor annoyances steal the joy from your life and lead to a range of health complaints, especially if you tend to worry about them repeatedly.

Minor hassles affect some people more than others. If you score high on the personality trait psychologists call conscientiousness, you may perceive daily hassles as more stressful than people who have a lower level of this trait, according to a recent study published in the journal Stress and Health. People who value order, organization and “getting things done” tend to be more upset about incidents that throw off their best-laid plans. Those who have a strong sense of responsibility tend to believe they’ll be able to cope more effectively than those who feel their experiences are beyond their personal control.

Fortunately, daily hassles can be balanced by daily uplifts – small, positive events that increase feelings of happiness. Finding a $5 in the dryer, getting a text from a friend, or seeing your child ride a two-wheeler can add up to a pretty great day. They can also make you feel better about your marriage, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Arizona. That’s because the effects of hassles and uplifts spill over into other parts of your life.

Bottom line: You can’t eliminate small stressors like stepping in gum or waiting in line at the grocery store. What you can do is build up a positive balance of uplifting events. What tiny treats give you a lift? Plan them into your day before the next hassle happens.