You are bound to have one of those crazy days (or weeks or months) where your calendar is jammed with meetings, there are looming deadlines, and an emergency has cropped up that absolutely needs to be dealt with right away. 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. That shouldn’t be surprising. 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.
And that brings us back to your hectic no-good very-bad day.
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.
Here are a few things you can do.
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.
Make sure you’re eating right. On really busy days, you may suck down an extra coffee or another caffeinated beverage and perhaps skip a meal to buy yourself some extra time. There’s nothing wrong with a cup of coffee in the morning, but extra caffeine will raise your arousal level. Try some water instead. Plus, keep some easy meals around your workspace so that when you’re tempted to skip lunch, you have good food close by.
A little physical activity helps as well. If you spend too much time sitting and locked into one position, you will add physical discomfort to the mental arousal, which can keep you too energized. Take a short walk. If you’re in a building with several stories, hop into the stairwell and walk a few flights of stairs. I used to work in a nine-story building and would walk the stairs at lunch time at least once. It didn’t take too long and reenergized me.
Keep a picture of your loved ones close by. When you need a little dose of calm, take a look at the people you care about. It is a great reminder that there is more to life than whatever is going on at work. That little dose of perspective can help you get back to the task at hand.
When the sun is out, there is nothing like five minutes of sunshine (as long as you’re wearing sunscreen). Feel the warmth of the sun, maybe a breeze. If it is way too hot out (and after 28 summers in Austin, Texas, I know there are times when the heat is unbearable), taking a look out a window for a few minutes can have a similar impact.
Finally, keep a few short tasks on your to-do list. When you feel like you’re slammed with lots of never-ending projects, find something you can finish in five to 10 minutes and knock it out. There’s a little joy to be had in crossing at least something off your list—even if you know you manufactured the opportunity.