Write down each thing in your life and at work that’s causing you anxiety. As simple as it may sound, it can be helpful to make a list of the sources of your stress. Before you can deal with stress, you need to know what’s causing it. Start by using your self-awareness to help you notice several things: You can use these same competencies, in particular self-awareness and self-management, to improve your focus. I’ve found in my research that one of the reasons why some people get burned out and others don’t is because they use their emotional intelligence (EI) to manage their stress. When mental and emotional exhaustion sets in, it further drains our ability to focus, concentrate, and recall information.įortunately, there are things we can do to break the cycle. Unfortunately, most of us don’t notice our focus declining until we become completely overwhelmed. When we can’t focus at work because of distractions, it may lead us to feel stressed about not being productive, which then causes us to focus less, further feeding the cycle. Scientists also suspect that high levels of cortisol over a long period of time are a key contributor to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Long-term stress, however, can lead to prolonged increases in cortisol and can be toxic to the brain. The findings are consistent – short-term stress raises cortisol levels (the so-called stress hormone) for short periods and can jump-start our adrenalin and motivate us to perform more efficiently in response to impending deadlines. Researchers have studied the negative effects of stress on focus, memory, and other cognitive functions for decades. I just can’t seem to focus.”Ĭonstant distractions and a lack of time certainly interrupt our focus, but stress also plays a major role.Ĭhronic stress floods our nervous system with cortisol and adrenaline that short-circuits important cognitive functions.
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