The Science Behind Microstress, Building Resilience, & Finding Purpose in Everyday Life with Rob Cross

Do you know the silent killer of our modern era? It's the micro stressors, those seemingly insignificant moments that cumulatively wreak havoc on our well-being. 

In this episode, Rob Cross, the Edward A. Madden Professor of Global Leadership at Babson College and Co-Founder and Director of The Connected Commons, joins us for a fascinating conversation about micro stress and how it affects us evolutionarily and biochemically. He shares his insights from over 600 interviews with professionals, exploring how little moments of stress can accumulate to create big problems. Rob explains how to identify different micro stressors, such as those that drain capacity, have an emotional impact, and challenge identity. 

Listen in to learn how to recognize micro stressors and take steps to manage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

[00:00 - 13:11] Uncovering the Impact of Hyper-Connectivity

• Introducing Rob to the show
• Rob interviewed 600 people to understand what distinguishes high performers in terms of how they collaborate and organize their work
• 90% of people experienced negative effects due to hyper-connectivity while 10% did not
• Stress is coming at us in small moments, both professionally and personally, at a velocity we are not intended to experience

[13:12 - 27:30] Exploring the Sources and Effects of Micro Stress in the Workplace

• People who maintained authentic connections outside of their profession were more successful
• Stresses come from interactions that drain capacity, emotional impact, and identity challenges
• People are making decisions on which balls to drop rather than how to excel due to overwhelm
• Excessive revenue goals, efficiency goals, and pressure to oversell can challenge identity
• The stress we create for others comes back to us
• Picking a passion from the past and using it to slingshot into a group

[27:31 - 33:58] Rediscovering the Power of Intentional Connections

• The decline of civic organizations and religious organizations has led to a loneliness epidemic with significant health effects
• Small moments of intentional connection with others can have a positive impact on our lives
• Carving out time for meaningful connections, even if it is only twice a year, can help ground us and provide support when needed

[33:59 - 35:51] Closing Segment

Quotes:

"People are making decisions today, more and more on which balls to drop and not how to excel because of the overwhelm out there." - Rob Cross

"We know the negative interactions in our lives have three to five times the impact of the positive. So if you're not looking for ways to adapt these negatives, then you're leaving some of the highest leverage impact out there." - Rob Cross

Connect with Rob Cross!

Website: https://www.robcross.org/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crossrob/ 

Connect with me on LinkedIn!

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