How Stress Affects Thinking

Why pressure makes clear thought harder

Stress and performance have a complex relationship, often described as an inverted U. Too little stress and you're bored and unfocused. A moderate amount of stress can sharpen attention, speed up thinking, and help you perform at your best, particularly on simpler tasks. But once stress crosses a threshold, performance breaks down: working memory shrinks, decision-making suffers, and thinking gets rigid. The exact shape of the curve depends on the task and the person.

Source

Diamond, D. M., Campbell, A. M., Park, C. R., Halonen, J., & Zoladz, P. R. (2007). The temporal dynamics model of emotional memory processing: A synthesis on the neurobiological basis of stress-induced amnesia, flashbulb and traumatic memories, and the Yerkes-Dodson law. Neural Plasticity, 2007, 60803.

In real life...

Before a high-stakes moment, try reframing your anxiety as excitement. Research shows this simple reappraisal keeps you on the productive side of the curve. If you feel yourself tipping into overwhelm, take six slow breaths to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and pull cortisol levels back down.