You probably don't walk around with words like microaggression and microtrauma in the forefront of your mind. Neither do I, but a few months ago, I had an unpleasant workplace experience that had me thinking about microaggression and microtrauma for several weeks. I had requested some work-related information from a partner organization by email. The response that eventually came back to me was a misdirected email from a partner organization member. The message was intended for their leadership team, of which my supervisor was a member, and contained several derogatory remarks about me.
I felt shamed, unsafe, and excluded when I read the email. I questioned why this person felt the need to reduce my humanity by describing me with the sexist and misogynistic terms contained in the email. More importantly, I wondered how someone could feel so emboldened to write such statements about another person to their leadership. There were power and racial dynamics at play, and while the harm may not have been intentional, I was deeply offended and hurt.
But the harm did not stop there. I raised the issue with my supervisor, who immediately excused the email and the person's behaviour. He surfaced every dismissive trope, from "This person is under a lot of stress" to "They are like that with everyone" and "Well, you were never meant to see that email." The conversation left me feeling invalidated, and for several days, I dreaded going to the office. Eventually, I wrote a formal complaint to my employer, which went nowhere. Their silence and inaction were a third blow. It signalled, once again, that employee safety and belonging were foreign to the organization's culture.
Like many others who have raised workplace safety and inclusion concerns, only to have them ignored, ridiculed, or dismissed, I felt alone, devalued, unsafe, and afraid. I lost trust in my supervisor and my employer, and suddenly, microaggressions and microtraumas were at the forefront of my mind.
What are microaggressions and microtraumas?
Microaggressions and microtraumas are separate but related things. A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, verbal, nonverbal, or environmental slight or insult that conveys negative, derogatory, or hostile messages to individuals based on their marginalized group membership. These acts can reinforce stereotypes and contribute to feelings of exclusion or invalidation. "The difference between microaggression and overt discrimination is that people who commit microaggressions may not even be aware of them," according to Kevin Nadal, a professor of psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Microtraumas, on the other hand, refers to small, often subtle experiences or interactions that accumulate over time, leading to psychological distress. They are minor incidents that have a cumulative impact on mental health, particularly when they occur frequently or remain unaddressed. In physical medicine, we know and experience microtrauma as "an injury resulting from repetitive stress to tissues characterized by an insidious onset of symptoms." When it comes to psychological health and safety, we experience microtraumas as injuries to our psyche, confidence, and mental well-being as a result of repeated put-downs, slights, derogatory comments, and harmful or exclusionary behaviour. The symptoms of microtrauma are typically felt as chronic stress, emotional dysregulation, negative self-image, avoidance behaviours, microaggression to others, and relationship difficulties.
Repeated exposure to microaggression is a form of microtrauma. The psychic injuries are often hidden in plain sight. People who live with repeated and unaddressed microaggressions are more likely to internalize them, leading to insecurity, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome. Parents who have experienced repeated exposure to microaggression transmit their fears and cautionary beliefs to their children, inhibiting social interactions. Long-term exposure to subtle and repeated slights can erode trust in societal institutions.
How can we rebuild?
I asked Robyn Penner Thiessen, a Winnipeg-based diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) Consultant, to share her thoughts on the subject. Robyn is a speaker and leadership coach with extensive international experience. She also facilitates workshops and corporate training about addressing microaggression in the workplace. Robyn joined me in November's Mindful Lunch event to discuss rebuilding from microaggression and microtraumas.
Here are four takeaways from our discussion that can help you rebuild if you have caused or experienced hurt from an unintentional yet hurtful slight, act, or statement.
Recognize and Repair. Remember that most acts of microaggression are unintentional yet hurtful. If you feel you may have caused harm, try reaching out, getting curious, and asking how you can do better.
Speak Up. It's okay to feel unsure about how to respond when you've experienced or witnessed microaggression. Robyn offers some strategies for constructive conversations that promote understanding, encourage reflection, and prevent future incidents. You can find her list of questions to ask and potential responses to try out here.
Take Care of Yourself. If you experience repeated microaggressions or other forms of microtrauma, it is important to actively attend to your mental health and well-being. You can learn and practice different ways to reduce chronic stress and burnout, improve your capacity, and deepen connections with those you live and work with. Reyou offers trauma-sensitive one-on-one and small group workshops and programs that can help you grow your capacity for recovering from microaggression and microtraumas so you can feel stronger, more confident and more stable in your work and personal life.
Be an Active Bystander. Microaggressions lead to loneliness and self-doubt for the person who experiences it because they feel that no one else understands the hurt or harm they endured. When you witness an act of microaggression, you can choose to be an active bystander by acknowledging that something is wrong and taking steps to intervene constructively. This can mean seizing opportunities to validate someone's feelings of hurt or harm and creating safe spaces that foster inclusion and belonging.
The bottom line:
A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, verbal, nonverbal, or environmental slight or insult that conveys negative, derogatory, or hostile messages to individuals based on their marginalized group membership. Repeated exposure to microaggression is a form of microtrauma. If you feel you may have said or done things that amount to microaggressions or have experienced microaggressions, you can rebuild. By understanding the terminology and the context of microaggression and microtraumas, prioritizing good mental health and well-being practices, and being an ally to those who have experienced subtle hurt and harm, you can help yourself and others to rebuild.
Watch the recording of the November Mindful Lunch with Robyn Penner Thiessen for more insights on the nature and impact of microaggression and ways we can rebuild.
Comments