Harnessing Anxiety for Enhanced Productivity: A Balanced Approach
Written on
Understanding the Yerkes-Dodson Law
Many believe that a calm and comfortable state is essential for effective work, but research, specifically the Yerkes-Dodson Law, suggests otherwise.
Photo by Diane Picchiottino on Unsplash
After discontinuing my anxiety medication, I found myself feeling increasingly anxious once again. This back-and-forth relationship with medication often feels self-deceptive and damaging. Whenever my anxiety or depression reaches a critical point, I seek medication, experience relief, and then convince myself that I no longer need it, which leads to a recurring cycle. However, this isn’t entirely straightforward.
Initially, when I stop taking medication, I often feel fantastic—motivated and a bit anxious. This anxiety nudges me to tackle challenging tasks, which I genuinely enjoy. Taking on significant challenges is one of my favorite aspects of my personality.
It's important to clarify that I’m not against medication. There have been times when my anxiety and depression have been severe enough to warrant it, and I can say that medication has proven beneficial on multiple occasions. However, there are downsides.
While medication alleviates anxiety, it also diminishes my drive. I become complacent, and over time, this contentment morphs into a different kind of anxiety—the nagging feeling that I’m not pursuing the aspirations I have in life because I’m too comfortable with the status quo.
Recently, I decided to stop using medication. After discussing this with my therapist, I expected her to express concern, but instead, she was intrigued and inquired about my feelings:
Me: It seems like there’s a curve where anxiety and productivity intersect. When my anxiety is too low, I feel content but unproductive—like a zombie. Conversely, at extremely high anxiety levels, I feel miserable and still accomplish nothing. Yet, a moderate amount of anxiety seems to fuel my productivity.
Her: That’s actually a recognized phenomenon.
Me: Really?
Her: Yes.
Me: Well, I guess I just independently discovered it this morning! It’s known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
This concept mainly pertains to stress or arousal levels, but I believe it can serve as a useful analogy for anxiety, and perhaps even depression. In my experience, they follow similar patterns.
The Role of Anxiety in Our Lives
So, who established the notion that anxiety is undesirable? Anxiety serves a purpose; it's part of our evolution. At optimal levels, stress and anxiety can enhance our productivity. Rather than aiming for total eradication of anxiety, we might consider that it isn’t inherently negative.
Can anxiety spiral out of control? Absolutely. Can it escalate to a point where medical intervention is necessary? Certainly. However, this doesn’t imply that the absence of anxiety is our ultimate goal. Like many things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between.
Is Productivity Truly the Goal?
This raises a valid point: it really depends on what we are producing. If your job is unfulfilling and your productivity is exploited by a corporate system, then perhaps productivity isn’t the ultimate aim. Nonetheless, that same anxiety might motivate you to leave a job that doesn’t serve you well.
However, my focus isn’t solely on work-related productivity. Perhaps a better term would be the drive, creativity, and energy to pursue the things I genuinely want in life.
What’s wrong with prioritizing low anxiety, satisfaction, happiness, and comfort? Nothing, if that approach works for you. But personally, I’ve found that to achieve true happiness and other positive states, I require a healthy mix of challenge and difficulty.
In my experience, anxiety—at least on the constructive side of the curve—helps me achieve this balance.
This is my website where you can read the articles I don’t publish on Medium.