The Book Lab:
Tiny Scripts, Big Shifts
A practical micro-script method to reduce burnout by changing what you say in the moments that matter.
What the Micro-Script Method Is
A micro-script is a short, repeatable sentence you use in high-pressure moments to guide your nervous system, your thinking, and your next step. It’s not a pep talk. It’s a tool designed to work when you’re tired, busy, and emotionally loaded.
Coming In Early 2026!
Tiny Scripts, Big Shifts: How Clinicians & Educators Talk Themselves Out of Burnout by K. Todd Houston, Ph.D. will be available in early 2026. The book is designed for busy clinicians, educators, and high-performing professionals who are tired of feeling depleted.
This book introduces the Micro-Script Method, simple, practical language shifts you can use in real moments to reduce stress, strengthen boundaries, and regain a sense of control without overhauling your life.
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If you want a quick overview, book details, and what’s coming next (including the Micro-Scripts for Parents book in development), join the Early Readers List below to receive all of the updates.
Join the Early Reader list to get exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a Free PDF: "The Top 5 Micro-Scripts for Stress Relief" immediately.
“Micro-scripts helped me respond instead of react. I’m calmer in the moment, clearer with students and families, and I don’t replay every conversation on the drive home.”
— Carrie B.,
Preschool Teacher
"For years, I thought 'leaving work at work' meant I just needed to be more organized. The Micro-Script Method taught me that I wasn't disorganized; I was chemically overdrawn. Using the 'Transition Script' in my car before I walk into my house has saved my evenings. I finally feel like I’m coming home to my family, not just bringing my caseload to the dinner table." — Sarah J.,
Speech-Language Pathologist
What is the Micro-Structure?
Micro-scripts work because they help you:
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Interrupt the stress reaction (create a pause)
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Reframe what’s true (without self-blame or catastrophizing)
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Act with one next step (clear boundary, clean decision, calmer tone)
SOS Bridge
This aligns with the SOS Model: Sense It → Own It → Shift It → Live It. This model is discussed extensively in the upcoming book, Tiny Scripts, Big Shifts: How Clinicians & Educators Talk Themselves Out of Burnout, which will be published in early 2026.
Try 3 Micro-Scripts—Use One Today!
Script 1: Boundaries (time/energy protection)
“I can’t do that today. I can do ___.”
Best for: last-minute requests, scope creep, over-commitment.
Say it like this: Offer one realistic alternative (a time, a version, or a next step).
Script 2: Imposter moments / self-judgment
“This is a moment of pressure—not proof that I’m failing.”
Best for: anxiety spikes, rumination, feeling behind.
Say it like this: Pair with one breath, then choose the next right step only.
Script 3: Difficult conversations (families/colleagues)
“Let’s slow this down. Here’s what I’m hearing, and here’s what I can do next.”
Best for: conflict, heightened emotion, misunderstandings.
Say it like this: Reflect → clarify → next step. Calm, firm, respectful.
Bring a Micro-Script Training to Your Team
Burnout isn’t only workload; it’s the daily accumulation of emotional labor, urgency language, and boundary strain. Micro-script training gives teams a shared language system for calmer communication, cleaner boundaries, and faster recovery after stress spikes.
Teams leave with:
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A common framework (SOS + micro-script sequencing)
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Scripts for boundaries, conflict, documentation pressure, and role clarity
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Practice scenarios tailored to your setting
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A take-home set of printable scripts and “in-the-moment” prompts
How it works:
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Request a date (you tell me your setting and goals)
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15-minute alignment call (scope + audience + outcomes)
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Live training (keynote/workshop; virtual or in-person)
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Follow-up toolkit (scripts + implementation plan)
Behind the Book
I wrote Tiny Scripts, Big Shifts, because I’ve seen what high-demand helping work does to good people. When your days are full of urgency, needs, and emotional load, the inner dialogue changes and the way you communicate changes, too. Micro-scripts are the bridge between insight and action: small language choices that keep your standards high without sacrificing your nervous system.
My lens comes from:
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My work as a Professor of Speech-Language Pathology (University of Akron, Ohio, USA) and as a faculty member at other universities
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Decades of experience supporting clinicians, educators, and families in real-world settings (state & public schools, children's hospital, university clinics)
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Training in coaching approaches that emphasize practical, repeatable change
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A focus on tools that work in the moment—not just in theory
If you want to apply the Micro-Script Method to your work and life, start with the free scripts or book a free discovery call for personalized implementation.
Here's What is in Development in The Book Lab:
Coming Spring 2026
The Stories We Parent By: How Micro-Scripts Help You Manage Stress & Rekindle Joy
The burnout doesn't stop when you leave your work setting. For many of us, the hardest shift starts when we walk through our own front door.
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Building on the Micro-Script Method, this follow-up guide turns the lens toward the most important job you’ll ever have: raising the next generation.
Learn how to identify the generational scripts you inherited, how to co-regulate with your children without losing yourself, and how to bring the "Green Zone" of safety back into your home.
Don't Miss Updates about this Valuable Parenting Resource!
Join the Early Reader list to get exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a Free PDF: "The Top 5 Micro-Scripts for Stress Relief" immediately.