What are the impacts of stress on your cognitive functions?

When under stress the focus of our attention is on the 'threat'. For most, the threat isn't actually dangerous to life, but the brain and body respond as if it is. The 'threat' could be an email we've received, a run-in we've had with a colleague or something happening in our personal life. Under these circumstances it's hard to focus on incoming information making recall difficult or impaired. Stress also impairs our memory by affecting parts of the brain crucial for memory formation and retrieval. High levels of stress hormones can damage neurons in these areas, leading to difficulties in encoding new information and recalling existing memories.

When you're drowning in chronic stress from impossible deadlines, temperamental suppliers, or a toxic boss, your body goes into full-blown inflammation mode. And guess what? When the body's inflamed, so is the brain. An inflamed body = an inflamed brain! And that's bad news for your memory, cognitive function, and mental clarity.

Stress can impair cognitive functions by reducing attention, concentration, and memory retention, making it difficult to process and recall information effectively. Chronic stress can also lead to decreased problem-solving abilities and impaired decision-making due to its negative effects on brain regions like the prefrontal cortex. Additionally, stress can trigger anxiety and emotional disturbances, further disrupting cognitive performance and overall mental clarity.

When an animal feels threatened, the fight or flight response kicks in, flooding the body with various hormones including cortisol. Scientific research has revealed that excessive amounts of cortisol leads to synapses (disconnections between neurons in the brain) which can affect short term memory. Why? Simply because short term memory is not required for protection against predators. What is required for survival is emotional memory, recollection of previous, similar, threatening situation and how to escape from them. As a result, emotional memories override the short term memory resulting in temporary, short term memory loss.

Stress can significantly impact cognitive functions, like acute stress can affect short term memory. Chronic stress can affect long term memory. Stress directly affects your Attention and Concentration, Decision making. Stress reduces creativity and flexibility so problem solving capacities are also reduce. It affects planning, organizing, priotizing and executing abilities. Stress affects emotions leading to irritability, mood swings, reactivity, mental fatigue. Stress leads to chronic illnesses through changes instress hormones.

Ever been introduced to someone and immediately forgotten their name? This is an example of how the fight or flight response reduces our attention and concentration. When we are introduced to someone for the first time our brains often go into defense mode, as we are quickly deciding is this person friend or foe? If you are having a stressful day, then this lack of attention multiplies and our concentration deteriorates. A simple way to overcome this is by drawing your focus of attention into the body and just notice what you are feeling. This brings us into the present moment which helps to switch of the amygdala (flight or flight response) and engage the frontal cortex which is our logical, rational, focused part of the brain.

Una vez aparece,el estrés coge el rol de protagonista en nuestra mente (con lo cual, en nuestro día a día). Con ello,se lleva toda nuestra atención... si le presto atención al estrés, alimento esa emoción generando que aumente y coja más fuerza. Las herramientas que utiliza la meditación son perfectas para situaciones así, ya que el protagonista de las meditaciones es "el manejo de la atención"; herramientas para saber dirigir la atención donde queramos, sanando nuestra mente y creando un bienestar general en nosotros.

When we are calm and relaxed, we engage with a part of the brain called the Prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is calm, logical, rational. It thinks before reacting and considers the long term implications of its actions When we are stressed we engage with the animalistic part of the brain known as the amygdala. This part of the brain is defensive, emotional and impulsive. It reacts before thinking and seeks fulfilment out of short term pleasures rather than long term gains. Every choice and decision we make has long term consequences. If our choices and decisions are based on impulsive emotions rather than logic and rationality, we are likely to create unsatisfactory circumstances in the future.

Imagine you're stressed about choosing between two job offers. Despite your efforts, stress clouds your judgment, making it hard to see the long-term benefits clearly. Instead, you find yourself focusing on the negatives, leading to hasty decisions that may not be in your best interest.

Picture yourself trying to solve a complex problem at work while under immense stress. Your mind feels foggy, and you struggle to think creatively or find effective solutions. Stress narrows your focus, leaving you stuck in familiar but ineffective problem-solving patterns.

When we are stressed we tend to tunnel vision on the things that are stressing us. We will tend to focus only on the problems, and thus, won't be able to find solutions. Things that can work to help problem-solving are: - Go for a walk, spend time in nature, and allow yourself to disconnect a bit. - Do a little visualization where you see yourself from above, outside of the stressful situation, and think about the big picture.

Under stress, the brain regions involved in problem-solving become less efficient, reducing your capacity to analyze issues and develop effective solutions. Stress disrupts working memory, making it difficult to break down problems into manageable parts and recall relevant information. It also decreases concentration and creativity, leading to rigid thinking patterns and a limited ability to see alternative approaches. As a result, decision-making under stress often becomes rushed and less effective. Managing stress is essential for maintaining optimal problem-solving skills and ensuring you can navigate challenges effectively.

Think about a time when unexpected changes occurred in your plans, causing stress. Despite your best efforts to adapt, stress made it challenging to shift gears and consider alternative approaches. You felt trapped in rigid thinking patterns, unable to find new solutions.

The soft overcomes the strong - Lao Tsu If you observe palm trees in a hurricane, it is their softness that allows them to withstand powerful winds. It is the trees that are hard and resistant that sustain the most damage. When we are stressed and engage with the amygdala, we become defensive and rigid in our views. We feel threatened by the idea of change and like to stick with what we know. We only think about what is best for us and an "I am right and you are wrong" pattern emerges. But when we engage with the calm, rational, creative Prefrontal cortex, we become open to new ways of thinking. We do not feel threatened by others and are therefore become more open to listening and understanding new perspectives and ideas.

Reflect on a situation where stress caused you to feel overwhelmed, leading to mood swings and difficulty controlling your emotions. This affected your interactions with others, creating tension and conflict. Maintaining emotional balance became challenging, impacting your overall well-being.

There is no job that is stress-free. We are people; we have our lives which are stressful and we have our jobs. It is how we deal with stress that makes us different. Acknowledging stress, and deciding to take a break is one way. But the most important thing is not giving in to it. One thing I do is that I give my chance to feel the stress and panic. Once done, I feel relieved and I start acting normally. Allowing myself to feel helps me manage my reaction and regulate my problem-solving skills.

Plusieurs pratiques telles que la sophrologie ou la méditation en pleine conscience aide véritblement et rapidement à réguler le stress et les émotions. Il existe de nombreuses techniques simples et efficace pour diminuer les manifestations du stress, afin de pouvoir s'extraire de l'engrenage dans lequel on peut parfois être pris et qui empêche d'avoir une vision claire de la situation et des décisions à prendre. Le stress chronique peut être imagé par une paire de lunettes inadaptée* qui fausse notre perception et altère nos capacités. *Inadaptée car, généralement, il n'y a pas contammment des menaces ou alors la situation peut être à fuir...