CS-CV0005_otm-c570fdb4-7962-4acf-b8e5-c2095d7766c8: Stress and state of alertness

How does a state of stress arise?

Stress occurs when we interpret some thing or situation as a threat. Changes occur in our bodily system prepare us to fight or to flee a threatening situation, including shallow breathing, increased heart rate, sharpened senses and sweaty palms. This reaction is called the fight-or-flight response, and it is a natural animal response to danger. Fight-or-flight has evolved as a response to ensure survival. It serves us well at moments when a rapid response is needed. It was a very valuable mechanism for our remote ancestors as it prepared the body to give its best when, for example, a lion was near. More recently, ‘freezing up’ has been added to the fight-or-flight model.

Fight-or-flight affects our brain: the mind becomes acute so it can make fast decisions and direct our actions to be very direct and straightforward. For the new student, an impending deadline or an email delivery sound in the middle of studying for a test may trigger a stress reaction. At times, stress may give the student the final boost of energy needed to get an essay done in time. Alertness related to a fight-or-flight reaction is not, however, conductive to deep reflection. The feeling of urgency related to stress is no help at all in situations like having to study for an exam, memorise new information and connect it with previously learning, or weigh the significance of some new knowledge.

Stress can become detrimental, particularly when prolonged or when one’s fight-or-flight response gets stuck in the ‘on’ position for longer periods. As the stress lasts longer, the mind's short-term memory, i.e. working memory, can be over-loaded. Working memory receives, processes and stores information for a short period of time, and its over-load can be seen as forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating and small functional errors. Studying under stress may turn into fumbling and bumbling, and you are more easily distracted by everything. Many things may be start, but nothing is carried through completely. You can feel restless and hyperactive. Long-term stress also increases the risk of study burnout, which makes it vitally important to regularly break any cycle of continued stress by getting enough ‘downtime’.

Stress and alertness

Stress is connected to states of alertness. When stressed out, one’s state of alertness may be too high (hyperalert) or too low (hypoalert). The best help is to find and maintain the optimal state of alertness for studies.

You can watch this video regarding the variation and regulation of alertness. Alternatively, the same topics are described in the text below.

Hyperalertness is a condition that many of us recognise. You feel restless and wound up or it may feel like you’re in overdrive. Concentrating on studying is difficult and you may notice that for all the different tasks you started, you didn’t accomplish a thing in the end. You may have recurring intrusive thoughts when studying for a test; you notice after a moment that others things keep barging in to your thinking and you find yourself doing something completely different. You may spend an inordinate amount of time polishing up a small detail of an essay, so the work doesn’t progress towards its target as it should. People in states of hyperalertness may stop listening to their own needs and forget to eat and take breaks. One may end up paying later for study days when there are no breaks to recover during the day. When studying at university, periods of being busy often come in waves, for example, when deadlines and examinations are near. It is particularly at these times that the risk of hyperalertness increases.

On the other hand, a person in a prolonged state of hyperalertness may drop into a state of underalertness (hypoalertness). A consequence of the chronic tension is that the body and mind just take the rest they demand. Hypoalertness is like the body and mind putting itself into a power saving mode. The individual acts as though on automatic pilot, lacking the energy to make active decisions. Hypoalertness is marked by trouble beginning or get anything accomplished. You feel weary and many times apathetic or distracted. Your mood is low and you lack the energy to interact with others; you just feel like withdrawing, being alone and going home to rest. For example, after finishing a long day being hyperalert at the university, the student may spend the rest of the evening lying down and even the smallest home chores can seem insurmountable tasks. Avoiding prolonged states of hyperalertness is the best way to avoid getting into a state of hypoalertness.

Time to reflect:

Can you think of some moments from this week when your level of alertness has been just optimal? Which factors and ways of acting helped you to maintain your alertness in optimal level?
Checking in and listening to your own body, you may learn to better identify and control your own levels of alertness.

Tips for regulating alertness:

Take 3-4 deep breaths in and out when you notice that your state of alertness is not optimal. Notice how this affects your actions and your state of being right now.
Ask yourself, what do I need now? Do you need something calming, like a few deep breaths, or something energizing, like listening to your favorite song?