It is common to think that the combination of stress and work can result in a big negative and destructive explosion; however, this result is not entirely true if other elements are involved in this formula: limits, motivation, clear objectives and a short period of time.
For example, experts point out that behind the work of great artists, inventors and scientists who have made enormous contributions to humanity, there was a certain amount of stress and that could have been a factor that drove their creativity.
How can pressure promote a creative mind? That depends, to a large extent, on the way people deal with stress and the interactivity they have with their environment in order not to lose sight of their goal.
"Creative stress enables people to perform more dynamically in unusual situations. more dynamically in unusual situations. Organizations such as Google and others, especially in the information technology area, provide employees with creativity time, games in meeting rooms, sauna, gyms and a relaxed environment. Positive stress is widespread in organizations that want to increase their creativity, while retaining talent in the company," says Miguel Lopez, managing partner of Cornerstone Costa Rica.
The boundary for detecting when stress promotes creativity is difficult, as each person responds differently to such a stimulus at work.
However, if that pressure is for a short time and if the person involved really handles it in an adequate way, emotionally and physically, it is a positive factor that fosters the imagination, according to Héctor Martínez, master coach and professor at the Business School.
Positive cases:
1. when a collaborator tends to procrastinate, the stress of meeting the work demand for a specific date can generate adrenaline and, at the last minute, he/she does the pending task with good results.
2. For those who have difficulty making decisions, stress may cause them to look for new paths or solutions to a situation. Here it is necessary to take into account the difficulty of the decisions and the number of factors involved in it.
3. The change of tasks and work from time to time may represent stress for some people and, at the same time, be motivating to take on new challenges, knowledge and continuous professional growth.
The problem arises when stress is a constant, because the body should not be absorbing toxic substances that are produced by excessive pressure. This leads to chronic stress.
Article published in Summa magazine N° 291.
