Psychology's Lessons For Coping With Stress - Dr Samantha Boardman | Modern Wisdom Podcast 358

Dr Samantha Boardman is a psychiatrist and an author. Divorces, bankruptcies and moving house are major stresses. But what about the micro-stressors we deal with every day, how much do they contribute to diminishing our wellbeing and what can we do to stop that from happening? Expect to learn which activities studies say are most effective for making you resilient to stress, how to break a downward spiral in your growth, how to deal with depression, why discomfort is a feature not a bug, how creating a persona can give you confidence and much more... Sponsors: Get £70+ of free upgrades on amazing design work from 99designs by Vistaprint at https://99designs.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://puresportcbd.com/modernwisdom (use code: MW20) Extra Stuff: Buy Ready For Anything - https://amzn.to/3lS5wpR Follow Samantha on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sambmd Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #stress #resilience #positivepsychology - 00:00 Intro 00:22 Recovering From Lockdown 08:00 What Are Micro-Stressors? 15:31 Leaning Into Discomfort 19:52 How To Cope With Bad Days 26:35 How Not to Deal With Stress 32:00 Escaping a Downward Spiral 37:28 The Usefulness of a Persona 47:30 Therapy & Action 55:37 Positive Psychology 101 - Listen to all episodes online. Search "Modern Wisdom" on any Podcast App or click here: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/modern-wisdom - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Dr Samantha BoardmanguestChris Williamsonhost

Aug 14, 20211h 1mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Transforming Stress: Micro-Stressors, Mindset Shifts, and Everyday Vitality Tools

Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman discusses how people misunderstand stress, focusing too much on big traumas and not enough on accumulating micro-stressors that quietly erode mental and physical health.
She explains practical strategies from positive psychology: deliberately “clocking” small joys, movement, time in nature, value-driven action, and adding value to others as potent antidotes to stress and rumination.
Boardman challenges cultural intolerance of negative emotions, arguing that discomfort is valuable data and that how we interpret stress signals radically changes our experience and resilience.
The conversation emphasizes intentional change—using strengths, future-oriented planning, and “being un-you” (acting as your best possible self) instead of hiding behind fixed identities like “I am who I am.”

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Micro-stressors accumulate and may harm you more than big crises.

Daily hassles like traffic, spills, or minor conflicts compound over time, weakening immune function and increasing risk of anxiety and depression, whereas people are often surprisingly resilient after major life events.

Deliberately “clock” small positives to counteract your brain’s negativity bias.

We naturally remember what’s unfinished and what went wrong; consciously noting delights (a good meal, a bird, a conversation) and lingering on them for a few seconds helps build an internal buffer against stress.

Treat discomfort and negative emotions as data, not defects.

Physiological arousal can mean panic or readiness depending on interpretation; labeling emotions precisely and asking what they’re signaling turns a vague sense of “bad” into specific, actionable information.

When you’re having a bad day, do the opposite of what you feel like.

Instead of numbing with alcohol, junk food, or isolation, lower the friction for healthy behaviors—move your body, eat decently, see a friend—and design your environment so the better choice is easier than the worse one.

Movement and time outdoors are powerful, underused mental health tools.

Regular exercise and as little as 20 minutes in green spaces reduce stress, rumination, and relapse of depression, yet many people spend only a few hours outside per week despite their strong reported benefits.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Happiness isn't in your head. It's in the actions you take, and the connections you make, and how you participate.

— Dr. Samantha Boardman

Some stuff sucks. Negative emotions are so valuable... It's the only way you learn.

— Dr. Samantha Boardman

The best antidote for stress is contributing to something else, doing something for somebody else.

— Dr. Samantha Boardman

We’re human beings, works in progress, who mistakenly think that we’re fully formed and finished.

— Paraphrased by Dr. Samantha Boardman (referencing Dan Gilbert)

If all it was was comfort, there would be no growth.

— Chris Williamson

Micro-stressors versus major life events and their impact on healthAttention bias, regret, and the practice of “delight hunting”Reframing discomfort and negative emotions as useful informationBehavioral strategies for coping with bad days and downward spiralsNature exposure, movement, and everyday “uplifts” as stress buffersAgency, self-efficacy, and adding value to others as motivationPositive psychology: using strengths, WOOP goals, and intentional change

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