Can’t get started on a project? Want to get into your “flow”? Is stress and overwhelm hampering your productivity?
The Yerkes Dobson Curve explains that to be at your peak performance (top of the curve below) you need to have a certain amount of stress (arousal) but not too much. Too much stress and you will go past the peak and performance will be negatively affected by overwhelm. The opposite is also true, as too little can lead to in inertia and inaction.
Getting this balance right is a term phased by Amy Arnsten, a neuroscientist from Yale University, as the “goldilocks of the brain”. She informs that the level of neurochemicals (dopamine and noradrenalin) needs to be “just right” for people to perform at their best.
The amount of chemicals needed varies from person to person. That’s why some people love the thrill of extreme sports and for others its terrifying. A short deadline for some gets them into action, whilst for others it is too stressful and leads to poor performance. Coaching can help people explore where they are on the curve and where they want to to be, to increase their productivity.
Ideas of how to use in coaching?
- Ask your coachee to plot where they are on the curve and where they’d like to be.
- Ask how their current position on the curve impacts on their health (stress) and performance (productivity).
- What works? What would they like to be different?
- What can they do more of to move to their ideal position on the curve? What can they do less of?
- What action can they take?
People often compliment this with activities such as mindfulness. Doing more mindfulness practices can reduce stress and move people into a different position on the curve.
