Micro-Coping: Small Tools That Help You Manage Stress Throughout the Day

What is micro-coping? 

Micro-coping is the habit or practice of using small but intentional actions to help regulate our stress response in real-time. We can all think of a time we’ve performed a seemingly small action, like pausing before responding to a text or an email when we’re feeling agitated, that inadvertently created a shift in our mood or state of mind that ended up being exactly what we needed to feel better in that moment. The term ‘micro-coping’ might be one we’re less familiar with, but the sentiment is one we’re big fans of; before stressful feelings snowball into full blown overwhelm, choose actions that are quick and simple and that don’t disrupt our moment to moment experience, but that are powerful in the way they can create meaningful shifts in our stress response. 

What are examples of micro-coping to help relieve stress? 

There are countless examples of small but mighty ways that we can step back from the acute experience of stress. When we think of why it works to address stress symptoms in bite-sized pieces, it’s because stress doesn’t typically arrive in one fell swoop. Over time, everything from decision-making fatigue, the incessant pings and dings from our laptops and cell phones and general sensory overload can lead to what feels like an onslaught of overwhelm. To counteract this type of stress and its effects, we can look at taking actions that help us to send more frequent signals to our nervous system that say, ‘it’s cool, we’ve got this.’  

An example of a micro-coping tool when stress strikes is something called sensory grounding. A common coping technique is one that uses the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell) to help redirect focus from stimulus that is currently causing feelings of anxiety or worry, to help us reframe and re-enter the present moment. This can look like a method called 5-4-3-2-1, which entails identifying five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Other examples of sensory grounding include tactile focus, like holding something weighted that feels comforting, or wearing something soft or using a soft blanket to simulate feelings of safety. All of these techniques are meant to help take us out of our minds and into our bodies.  

Another micro-coping tool to consider is using our words to reframe what is happening to us in the moment. This technique is not meant to force positivity or to deny our reality, but rather to help ease the intensity of the feeling in its current state. You can try saying to yourself, “this feeling is temporary and it will pass through me” or “I don’t have to have all of the answers right now, I just need to do the next right thing.” These types of reframes can create space for more measured thinking and can offer pause between stimulus and response. 

Natural stress relief tools: introducing the Quick Hit nasal inhaler

One of the most well-studied ways to positively impact stress response is through the simple but powerful act of breathing. How many times throughout the course of your life has someone offered a breath-based reset? Guaranteed, the number is almost more than you can count. We’re told to take a few deep breaths before we enter a difficult conversation, for example. We’re encouraged to try breathing techniques like box breathing, a simple method in which you’re asked to imagine the shape of a box and then breathe around it, by inhaling to the count of four, exhaling to the count four and then repeating, forming the shape of a box in your mind. Box breathing is an example of an intentional slowing down to support a feeling of tranquility in both the body and mind. 

Here at Saje, we deeply believe that our breath is our life force. Our company has been in the natural wellness and aromatherapy space for 30+ years, so we’ve learned a thing or two about the art of breathwork. Our newest renovation and innovation in the space are our Quick Hit nasal inhalers, which are designed to offer a complementary practice of both intentional breathing and the benefits of various essential oils in aromatherapy, with targeted formulas created to impact the mind and senses in specific ways. Before we jump into the individual formulations, we want to share more about why nasal inhalation is so important. 

Why nasal inhalation?

When we breathe the aroma of essential oils through our nose, we're not just experiencing a nice smell. We're tapping into one of the most effective ways to send information within our brain and body, which is through our olfactory system; simply, our sense of smell.  

When essential oils travel through the nose, they pass through our olfactory bulb on their way to the limbic system, which is one of the oldest parts of our brain. Here is where we experience a few key physiological responses: memory, emotion, and how our nervous system responds to stimulus. What does this mean to us? It means we can have the benefits of a certain essential oil (for example, lavender or chamomile for calm, peppermint or rosemary for a stimulating effect) in just a matter of seconds. We can shift our state simply through the act of breathing. 

In short, the act of smelling or breathing in essential oils sends signals straight to our brains: take a few deep breaths and experience the benefits of plants in their most potent form, delivering their unique benefits to the body (a moment of calm, a natural boost, a clearer breath and a grounded state of being.)  

Saje Quick Hit nasal inhaler: Stress Release 

Nasal inhalers are created to be potent and fast-acting, made with 100% natural blends that are convenient, portable, and now offered in a discreet inhaler format. Powered by plants & the science of aromatherapy, we’re big fans of nasal inhalers because of the convenience they offer; travel-sized and ready for use anytime you wish to create present moment awareness. These nasal inhalers are also suitable for use in scent-free environments. Our blend of 100% pure essential oils means that our nasal inhalers are non-habit forming and allow you to use them at your discretion. 

The first nasal inhaler we’re introducing to our assortment is our Quick Hit: Stress Release blend. Emotionally supportive and nurturing, it was formulated to help create feelings of deep calm, harmony and balance in people who are feeling overwhelmed, tense, and experiencing physical and emotional manifestations of stress like tension, worry or irritability. Here are a few of its key ingredients: 

• Lavender essential oil: brings feelings of relaxation and helps to encourage compassion and gentleness. It's well-known for the benefits it brings to both the body and mind, supporting peace, calm and reassurance 
• Clary sage essential oil: a powerful and grounding herbal essential oil known to have an effect on the mind, inducing stillness and allowing for feelings of peacefulness and calm to encourage reflection and relaxation 
• Vetiver essential oil: a distinctive sharp and earthy scent that works to promote feelings of deep calm and tranquility, helping to still both the body and mind. Full of antioxidants, this rich oil helps support against feelings of burnout, exhaustion and overwhelm 

Nasal inhalation is fast-acting; it does not require topical application, meaning it isn’t applied to the skin, and its discreet, which allows you to choose the effect your body needs. To use, simply hold close to the nostril or nose and breathe deeply. We suggest using it about three times per day or as desired. 

Frequently asked questions for stress management

Being that stress is something we experience uniquely, it can be helpful to explore different stress coping strategies and natural stress relief tools. Below are some of the most common questions we hear related to stress and micro-coping techniques.

What are some quick stress relief techniques?

Some of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce symptoms of stress include different breathing techniques, whether it's closing your eyes and breathing deeply and slowly for one full minute, performing a method called box breathing or consciously working to extend the length of your exhale each time you breathe to encourage a parasympathetic response in the body. You might also try micro-movements, which include a one-minute massage to the back of your neck, standing up and shaking out stagnant energy through the arms and legs or unclenching your jaw and rolling your shoulders. We store stress in our physical body, and micro-movement can help us release it. It’s important to interrupt the physical and mental experience of stress before it escalates, so even the act of something small like splashing our face with cold water can help bring us back to present moment awareness.

How does aromatherapy help with stress?

We know that the sense of smell or the power of scent is one of the quickest ways we can influence or shift how the body feels. When we inhale an aroma and it travels through our olfactory system to different parts of the brain, we create an impact on things like our stress response, our mood, and our memory. In the case of using calming and grounding essential oils for stress, for example, we send signals to the body that we need to move into a more regulated state, which can help us to feel more at ease and steadier. Aromatherapy is a great example of a modality that is gentle but impactful; we aren’t forcing a shift in our current state but are subtly inviting change, whether it’s through a more centered mindset after deep breathing or by a calm feeling in our physical body. Aromatherapy doesn’t “fix” stress, but it offers us a tool for management and regulation that our bodies and minds can begin to associate with feeling more balanced and in tune.

What is an aromatherapy inhaler and how does it work?

An aromatherapy inhaler, at Saje called a Quick Hit nasal inhaler, is a small, portable product that offers a discreet and personal moment of aromatherapeutic benefits through inhalation. Especially popular for when we’re wanting to create quick shifts in our mood and mindset, whether it’s to relieve stress, create a sense of clarity or to help us feel more present and connected, a nasal inhaler provides a fast effect, with very little product required to produce big results. The experience of use is also personal to each of us and controlled in the sense that we can breathe in as deeply as desired, as frequently as required. Portable, low-effort and private, nasal inhalers help create a sensation shift that takes us out of our minds and into our bodies through the simple act of breathing.