|
|
|
10 Tips for Practicing Positive Thinking as a Tool for Managing ADD
At first glance, it would seem that positive thinking and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) have nothing to do with one another. But many of us with ADD develop negative thinking patterns because we become frustrated by our challenges and frequent...
5 Tips To Get More Out Of Your Work Day
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent but are not important, and even easier to get slowed down by clutter and distractions. Here are 5 solutions.
1. Carefully examine what factors you are using to set project deadlines. Then set...
CUT STRESS THROUGH EFFICIENCIES
CUT STRESS THROUGH EFFICIENCIES
On a daily basis, many are inundated with tasks. The list of things to do never seems to be completed. Over time, this continual stress can lead to feeling burnt out. One fairly simple way to make things a...
How Important Is It To Stand Apart From Others In An Interview And How Difficult Is It?
Q: How important is it to stand apart from others in an interview and how difficult is it?
......................................................................................
Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these...
"Why Exercise Bikes Might Be the Ultimate Fitness
Exercise bikes are the first things that come to your mind when you talk about home exercise equipments. Exercise cycles popularly known as exercise bikes have gained so much recognition that they are next to TV in demand and popularity among the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stress & Performance: How much is just right?
Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
Experts in the stress management field have traditionally found it difficult to pinpoint how much stress is optimum. A very recent study, carried out by the University of Ohio, showed the relationship really depended on your definition of performance. In this study, subjects’ ability to recall simple facts seemed to improve as their stress increased, while their ability to think flexibly and apply those facts to new situations deteriorated.
This is interesting for those of us who learned back in basic stress management theory that the relationship between stress and performance always followed an inverted ‘U’-shaped curve. The top of this curve is our optimal stress level. Insufficient stress will leave us feeling bored, tired and lethargic. The closer our stress levels to that ‘optimal stress’ point, the more excited and enthused we become about our work and our lives. Once we get beyond that optimum level, however, things start going downhill fairly quickly. All manner of negative stress responses kick in, and our performance starts to decline.
Unfortunately, useful as both the new research and the old concept are in terms of general understanding, they’re equally frustrating for those of us who are looking for practical ways to optimise our performance. Even if experts could agree on the relationship between stress and performance, it still wouldn’t tell us where our own optimal levels stress lay, because stress responses are so individual.
FOCUSSING ON THE EFFECTS
If we want a practical guide to optimising our performance, it’s probably more useful to step away from the research and redirect our focus. In the same way as we’ve been taught to ‘know a tree by its fruit’, perhaps the most practical way we discover our optimal stress is to look at the effects. We know that a limited level of stress can have positive effects on our performance, including:
- Motivation to start new projects
-
Associated Websites
Motivation to finish them on time
- Motivation to produce higher quality work
- The feeling that comes with conceptualising tasks as challenges that can be met
At the same time, we also have well documented cases of too much stress leading to:
- Lack of concentration
- Procrastination and demotivation
- Anxiety and/or insomnia
- Emotional overreacting (irritability or tearfulness)
If we focus on these effects, we can identify our optimum stress level by looking at our current performance and motivation levels. It’s not always easy to be objective. Sometimes asking for a second opinion from a friend or colleague can help. Other times a little time spent reflecting – journaling or just thinking it through alone - may be all that’s needed.
Either way, it’s important to look at what stressors are present, and where performance and motivation levels are. It can also be helpful to look at whether there have been any noticeable shifts in either recently, and what events or changes were taking place at the same time (whether or not they felt like stressors at the time)
Once we have a feel for what stressors we’ve been facing, and how we’re really performing, we’re in a better position to understand the relationship between stress and performance in our lives. And once we understand that, ensuring the right level of stress for optimum performance becomes a matter of details.
About the author:
Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Stress Management Coach and Personal Trainer whose articles on holistic health, relaxation and spirituality have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. For more information please visit check out http://optimumlife.co.nz,or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.
|
|
|
|
|
|