Good stress

Do you often find yourself crashing and burning under the pressure of deadlines and seemingly impossible tasks?

Don’t worry, you are not alone.

So how do we utilize this stress for success, instead of succumbing to it?

There is a sweet spot between too little stress and too much. Using this sweet spot can dramatically enhance your performance and productivity.

Think of a stressful situation. Could be anything. Let’s take public speaking.

You are getting ready to speak in front of a crowd of 200 people. Your arms weak, palms are sweaty. Maybe shaky.

In this moment, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated and your brain is flooded with chemicals. Cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine.

If you are like me, you may have thought “Wow, this is not helping right now.” But you’re wrong. Your body is being the ultimate wingman.

Helpful chemicals

This perspective shift hit me while watching a Simon Sinek interview.

In the talk, Simon says that stress is the body’s way of getting you ready. It wants you to be better. It is preparing you to crush it.

This is because moderate levels of stress can help to increase your performance on certain tasks. Super useful for meeting deadlines or tackling challenging activities.

Back to cortisol and epinephrine. They naturally increase focus and concentration.

This is how stress improves neural performance. You can do this deliberately with cold exposure, like a cold shower or plunge.

Stress can lead to better reactions and responses in certain situations.

This is because being under pressure can help people think more quickly and make decisions without overthinking or overanalyzing.

However, if you wallow in your feelings, not acting, you will have undermined your best response.

“It’s not stress that kills us, it’s our reaction to it.”

Hans Selye

Using stress to enhance productivity and quality

I am a procrastinator. Probably a chronic condition.

But something weird happens when I procrastinate.

In this state of intense focus due to a looming deadline, I’ve noticed that I perform better. And usually the result is better.

The example that comes to mind is every single college paper I ever wrote.

I always started each one the night before, and I always got an A.

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.”

Leonard Bernstein

This phenomenon is known the scientific community.

According to Byron, Khazanchi, & Nazarian, (2010), “many studies suggest that small doses of stress are likely to motivate people’s brain to work towards specific goals.”

This is because when under pressure, people often come up with unique solutions to difficult problems.

This is because the stress of a high-stakes situation causes our brain to go into overdrive, triggering what’s known as a “fight or flight” response, pumping us full of adrenaline.

When this happens, we become hyper-aware of our surroundings and our options become far more numerous, thanks to the surge of energy and energy-producing hormones.

With this newfound energy, we can think more quickly, create more ideas and have the courage to try things we wouldn’t normally attempt.

This is why solving a complex problem under pressure can often yield unique and innovative solutions.

The dangers of stress

All effects of stress are not good.

Burnout is real. Negative effects of stress are real.

The difference is using stress as a trigger for action.

Don’t let it stop you. Use it as a launch pad.

Through experience, I know that when I drive myself too hard, I tend to go on “autopilot,” attempting to just get through things without being bothered.

I become more passive and fall into busywork routines, losing focus.

Becoming aware of this was a big perspective shift for me. Now, when I feel stressed, I transform it into productive action.

Sometimes, all this means is I go to the gym. Other times, I will pick up a guitar. It doesn’t always have to be “work”, it just has to be something that will give you a new perspective.

Summary

Stress can be a useful emotion, if you use it correctly.

Stress is the body’s natural response to a challenge, and it can help to increase alertness, focus, creativity, and even performance.

When used correctly, stress can be beneficial, allowing you to rise to the occasion and tackle difficult tasks in a more efficient manner.

However, too much stress can be unhealthy, leading to anxiety, poor performance, and eventual burnout.

The best way to use stress and to take advantage of its beneficial qualities is to understand when to take a break and how to manage stress levels.

This understanding and approach will help you to stay focused, productive, and successful.