Entrepreneur

Science of Success
Find Your
‘‘Stress
Sweet Spot’’
by VANESSA VAN EDWARDS
WHEN YOU HEAR the term peak performer,
what do you think of? Odds are it’s someone
who routinely operates under intense stress,
getting the job done regardless of the difficulties.
We think of athletes, lawyers, astronauts.
But in their groundbreaking recent book The Leading Brain,
researchers Friederike Fabritius and Hans W. Hagemann offer
a more nuanced take on what it means to be a peak performer.
To Fabritius and Hagemann, peak performance doesn’t necessarily
mean thriving amid intense stress. Instead, it means finding
your sweet spot—the amount of stress (or using their term,
“arousal”) that allows you to function at your highest level.
If you’re the kind of person who flourishes when a colleague
calls in sick and you have to take their place at a presentation,
and you produce your best work under the pressure of tight
deadlines, then your optimal arousal level is high. If you prefer
to work in a highly controlled environment and are overwhelmed
by last-minute changes and intense pressure, then
your optimal arousal level is low. Why do people’s reactions
to stress vary so wildly? It goes down to the chemical level:
Scientists have identified three neurotransmitters that play
key roles in our performance and arousal levels. But contrary
to widely held belief, just because someone can’t take extreme
pressure doesn’t mean they’re not capable of performing at
a very high level. It simply means they need to find a stable,
calm situation that will allow them to do their best.
So rather than try to fight against your biological makeup,
you should be aware of your stress sweet spot—and if you
aren’t in it already, find a way to create it. Maybe that means
making changes at work, or collaborating with colleagues to
raise or lower your pressure. Or, intriguingly, Fabritius and
Hagemann found that exercise can help. If you’re a lowstress
worker, do relaxing exercises such as walking and yoga
to keep your stress level low. If you’re a high-stress worker,
you can boost your neurotransmitter levels by engaging in
high-intensity workouts, competitive sports, and other activities
that get your heart pumping.
But the sweet spot isn’t just about you. If you’re a manager
or a boss, knowing your team members’ sweet spots is key to
maximizing everyone’s productivity. Take note of how each of
your colleagues tackles their to-do list; watch their reaction
to an urgent client need or a schedule change. If you’re feeling
especially transparent, you can give them a copy of this article
to discuss during one-on-ones.
Armed with knowledge of their sweet spots, you can adjust
your work environment and delegate tasks based on what
conditions will make each person the most productive. For
example, when a project seems like it’s falling apart and the
deadline is around the corner, turn to your high-arousal colleagues
to save the day. Or when you have a tedious, longterm
project that needs to be completed with precision, give it
to someone with a low-arousal sweet spot; they’ll appreciate
the stability it offers.
You can also tailor your communication style to match your
team’s ideal stress levels. When giving messages to low-stress
individuals, particularly about stressful news, give them lots
of details about the situation and their next steps to help them
feel in control. And when sharing similar news with higharousal
individuals, emphasize the excitement and urgency
of the message—because that will ignite their fire and raise
their neurotransmitter levels.
The stress sweet spot should come as good news to everyone,
because it means that stress isn’t an inherently good or
bad thing. It just means that we all need to know how we
work best with it. That way, nobody’s wasting time stressing
about the wrong thing.
Vanessa Van Edwards is the founder of Science of People.
16 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / September 2017
Illustration / CHRISTIAN GRALINGEN