"Having a few things that hit at the same time can actually be good for you, but eventually, it is going to cause you problems. In particular, the researchers Yerkes and Dodson published a paper in 1908 (you read that right-over 110 years ago) talking about the optimal level of psychological energy called arousal. They suggested that when people have low levels of energy, they don't get much done."
"As your arousal goes up, your performance goes up as well. Again, not so surprising. At some point, though, you reach an optimal level of energy, and beyond that, your performance starts to go down again. You panic, or at least have trouble concentrating. It is that inverted U-shape of the relationship between arousal and performance that is interesting."
"Having several meetings and a deadline can be good. It can raise your level of arousal to the point where you're firing on all cylinders. When you find yourself over-aroused and slipping over the edge of the Yerkes-Dodson curve, it is time to calm down and get yourself back in the sweet spot."
"Lots of mindfulness exercises and meditation practices are designed to help calm you down when you are overly aroused. Find a practice that works for you. Breathing exercises are a great place to start. A simple process where you breathe in on a four count, hold for four, breathe out on a four count and hold for four is a nice exercise to calm yourself. Doing that for even three minutes can often help you get back to a point where you can focus."
Arousal affects psychological performance in an inverted U-shaped relationship. Low arousal leads to poor output, and increasing arousal improves performance until an optimal level is reached. Beyond that point, performance drops as panic and difficulty concentrating increase. Busy schedules with meetings and deadlines can initially raise arousal to a productive level, but too much arousal pushes people past the optimal range. Calming strategies can bring arousal back to the sweet spot. Mindfulness and meditation practices, especially structured breathing exercises, can reduce excessive arousal. Eating properly also supports stability by reducing reliance on extra caffeine and preventing missed meals that worsen focus.
Read at Fast Company
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