It's the last straw. Sometimes all it takes is a trivial comment, a task added to our to-do list or a minor mistake made at work to be, pardon the expression, a "dog mood". ". Clinical psychologist Alice Boyes calls these kinds of events “micro mood injuries.” In an article written by her and published on the
Psychology Today
website on March 26, the anxiety specialist warns of the disproportionate impact that these injuries can have on our well-being. To reduce their incidence, it invites you to know how to identify them.
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Micro injuries
Even minor events can trigger ruminations, demoralization, frustration, sadness or anxiety. Alice Boyes cites some examples:
A harmless comment or observation
that triggers social comparison, such as seeing a child who has mastered a skill that your child has not yet mastered.
A small mistake
that makes you feel like you're not doing a good job.
A small failure
while you are making significant efforts.
A little frustration
when you are trying to be very efficient, for example when you go to an ATM to run an errand and find that it is not in service.
Someone who jokes
about a topic you care about.
When
someone who is usually friendly
and optimistic
is not
, which deprives you of the stimulating effect you expect from an interaction with that person.
You attend an event for an hour, check your email at the end of the event, and see that
new tasks await you.
In certain situations, these events can particularly affect us. This is particularly the case “when several micro injuries occur in a short period of time (for example three in one hour)”, indicates the psychologist. But also when you already feel vulnerable or don't have many energy reserves due to factors such as fatigue or illness, or when you have made a big effort to improve your mood and “a small event comes to degrade it.”
Also read: Why do some people constantly ruminate?
Insect bite
If you are facing such slight mood disorders, the psychologist gives some keys to feeling better. Once the triggering event is recognized, Alice Boyes invites us to precisely identify the emotion we are feeling. “Let yourself go with the emotion, without amplifying it,” she advises readers. It is then a matter of limiting your ruminations and waiting for the bad mood to pass naturally. “If you don't ruminate, your mood will quickly recover from the small injury, just as your body would recover from a small cut or insect bite,” illustrates the specialist.
It's all about finding the balance between allowing yourself to be a little hurt and moving forward. And Alice Boyes reminds us, sometimes all it takes is a hug from a loved one or some time spent outside to find a better mood.