It’s tax season. The April 15th deadline is coming upon us, and many of us scramble to detail our finances, organize our files, collect receipts, and endlessly stare at an excel spreadsheet filled with numbers piled up from the last 12 months of heating bills, gas mileage, mortgages, charitable donations, and other such items. Every year we promise ourselves earlier preparation, but every year we end up waiting until the week before. Sound familiar? Do you wait until the last minute? Do you perform better under pressure?
In a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association, 41% of respondents said that they feel as though workplace stress has a positive effect on their performance. This is up 30% from the same survey conducted 6 years ago.
Depending on how we react to short-term stress, doing work under the pressure of an upcoming deadline can actually be a positive influence on performance level. By activating the “stress mechanism,” often we fight through the stress and are compelled to action, suddenly given a high level of “psyched-up” energy in order to fulfill the task at hand…last minute.
Everyone reacts differently to stress at any level, and much of this is genetic; Some people are born racehorses and others are born turtles. The racehorses are less affected by physiological stressors. The turtles, however, “flight” in a stressful situation - their brain functioning shuts down, blood pressure increases, and all of this impedes his/her ability to perform.
Waiting until the last minute is not a practice that everyone should adopt. While some may frame a stressful situation in a positive light, it would be important for others to plan accordingly, practice antianxiety techinques prior to an upcoming deadline, and be sure to start early to avoid any inevitable stressors.
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