When we are stressed, it effectively makes us less intelligent. This is due
to the reduction in pre-frontal activity, which in turn is designed to make
us more focused and alert. Essentially, the pre-frontal cortex is the part
of the brain responsible for forward planning, creative thinking and other
‘high-order’ brain activity.
When you are being chased by a lion though, it is really not the time to
be thinking about the meaning of life!
So shutting down this part of the brain and placing your focus on
feedback from your senses makes much more sense.
Of course that’s not particularly useful in the workplace though: and this
is why the stress response is so seriously unhelpful when we have to
give a presentation, answer a question on the spot or go on a date. This is
when we lose all articulation and start stammering and saying useless
things.
Slightly longer-term is adrenal fatigue. This is what happens when your
brain has exhausted its supply of adrenaline and other stress hormones. That might sound like a good thing but you actually need a little nor-epinephrine , dopamine and cortisol to stay motivated – and even to wake up in the morning! Adrenal fatigue leaves you listless,demotivated and potentially depressed. It can also cause what is known as ‘learned helplessness’ – a condition where you essentially completely give up because your brain has been conditioned to learn that any attempts to change its situation will be met with failure. Not good!
Worse, when you are highly stressed, it can lead to long term problems
for your brain health. As we briefly mentioned: it can literally shrink
your brain! Studies show that in the long term, it leads to structural
changes that shrink the hippocampus and shrink grey matter – the allimportant neural connections throughout the brain. Even a single, severe
traumatic event can result in significant reductions in the medial PFC,
anterior cingulate and sublingual regions of the brain. The effects of
‘cumulative adversity’ meanwhile, cause smaller volumes in the medial
prefrontal cortex (the PFC), insular cortex and anterior cingulate regions.
These regions of the brain correspond with emotional control, decisionmaking, reasoning and self control.
In other words, the eventual result of stress is to leave you more
reactionary, more depressive, more impulsive and less disciplined.
From here, every aspect of your life will start to see negative effects.
But there are things you can do about it…
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