If you’re stressed during the day, you can probably point to some obvious contributing factors such as a difficult project, demanding client, or tough boss giving you a hard time. But there might be more stressors in your daily routine than you even realize.

“The problem is that most of us have come to accept micro-stresses as just a normal part of a day. We hardly acknowledge them, but cumulatively they are wearing us down,” Rob Cross, Jean Singer, and Karen Dillon say in the Harvard Business Review. “And what’s worse is that the sources of these micro-stresses are often the people—in and out of work—with whom we are closest.”

To manage micro-stressors, Cross, Singer, and Dillon suggest isolating and acting on two to three at a time, which makes it easier to find time and energy to vent.

“Micro-stressors create emotional build-up that needs to be released before you can think rationally about a constructive response. So the first step is to decompress—hit the pause button, close the laptop, and undertake an activity that is self-affirming.”

Also, try to distance yourself from stress-creating people or things. To identify who is causing stress, take a step back and evaluate the relationships in your life—if someone is causing more stress than joy, create some separation.

Questions TO Ask Before Changing Careers

If you’re wondering if a career change is really the right move for you in this moment, ask yourself these questions first. https://t.co/q62ubHpRXq

— The Muse (@TheMuse) July 9, 2020

Wondering about a career change during the COVID-19 pandemic? It’ll help to ask yourself some questions before making a big decision. One important one: “Am I unhappy with my job or my career?” The pandemic may have exacerbated problems at work, but those problems could be unique to your current workplace.

“Remember that feeling unhappy in your current job doesn’t necessarily mean you need to change careers entirely,” says Stephanie Thurrott on The Muse. “Try to be honest with yourself about whether the issues pushing you away from your current job are likely to crop up again in another field, in which case a career change may not be the answer you’re looking for.”

Other Links of Note

Can clickbait be used for good? It isn’t necessarily bad, suggests a recent post from the Content Marketing Institute.

Integrating content and connection during an online conference isn’t hard, and the results are worth the effort, says Adrian Segar of Conferences That Work.

Membership recruitment for a trade association is more difficult than selling individual membership, argues Tony Rossell on the Membership Marketing Blog. He offers strategies for a successful recruiting program.

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