Like many emergency responders, Nicholas Groom is used to stress at work. “I've always considered us a bit of a weird group because we voluntarily go into situations that other people run away from,” says 29-year-old Groom. On one hand, the stress can be helpful. “I find that when attending a serious incident, it helps me to maintain focus on the situation.” On the other hand, the work can be highly pressurised. “Too much stress can impair your ability to make decisions,” Groom adds. And Groom is not alone in his complicated relationship with stress.
Many people believe that that there should be a balanced amount of stress. In other words, not too much stress so you're not overwhelmed but not too little stress so you don't feel unmotivated. After all, some anxiety is motivating; think of the adrenaline before a deadline or the excitement before a competition. Sports fans sometimes even talk about a “gene” in some athletes who seem to play best in the decisive final moments of a match. Furthermore, many psychologists claim that performance in many situations increases with stress up to a point. Of course, any stress can cause
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When it comes to stress and how it affects your performance, it’s helpful to recognise the variations in personality, type of stress and task that affect the level of pressure you are under, as well as understanding tools you can use to control and harness that stress. Ultimately, it’s not helpful to take a one-sided view, either demonising or glorifying stress. As James C Quick, a management professor at the University of Texas, sums up: “Stress can be the kiss of death as well as the spice of life.”
(Adapted from bbc.com)