The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems–and What to Do About It

Presented on: Tuesday, August 1st at 12:00 PM EDT


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If you feel exhausted by everyday life, you’re not alone. In today’s hyperconnected 24/7 world, most of us are “on call” to people in both our personal and professional lives at all times. But what high performers and other intelligent people fail to realize is that our connections with other people – even those we care most about – trigger an avalanche of small stresses that snowball to the point where it affects our well-being. In this enlightening webinar, bestselling author and leadership expert Rob Cross will point to new and original research to describe the recent phenomenon perpetuating this ongoing crisis of well-being—microstress. Unlike stress, which is often driven by one big thing, microstress is a relentless accumulation of small, often unnoticed stresses—that infiltrate both our work and personal lives—and come not from one single antagonist, such as a demanding client or micromanaging boss, but from the people we are closest to our friends, family, and colleagues. 

Cross will deliver small steps anyone can take to build resilience against microstress, like finding purpose in everyday life by forging authentic connections with others, making time for the things that matter, and finding ways to be your true self in work and life.

About the author: Rob Cross co-authored The Microstress Effect: How Little Things Pile Up and Create Big Problems– and What to Do About it with Karen Dillon. Rob is a Professor of Global Leadership and the cofounder and director of the Connected Commons, a consortium of more than 150 leading organizations. He has studied the underlying networks of relationships within effective organizations and the collaborative practices of high performers for more than twenty years. Working with over 300 organizations and reaching thousands of leaders from the front line to the C-suite, he has identified specific ways to cultivate vibrant, effective networks at all levels of an organization and any career stage. He is also the author of Beyond Collaboration Overload: How to Work Smarter, Get Ahead, and Restore Your Well-Being.


The views expressed by presenters are their own and their appearance in a program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Oakland University.