American doctor of psychology Elizabeth Cox talks about how stress affects memory. A little stress improves memory performance. After all, it evokes an emotion that is associated in memory with the information that you perceive. Therefore, over time, you can more easily remember some facts, associating them with sensations.
For example, if, when visiting friends, their formidable dog scares you, then you can easily remember his nickname. However, associating with a dog will not help you fix the color of the furniture in your friends living room in your memory.
And when the stress is very strong or chronic, it, on the contrary, blocks the memory. Very strong emotions distract from the information you are trying to remember.
How to overcome stress
- M oral preparation. For example, on the eve of a public speech or report, you should create similar circumstances for yourself. Wear the same clothes in which you will report. Imagine that there is an audience in front of you and standing up to say everything is prepared. Thus, your body partially adapts to an unusual situation.
- Physical training. When you exercise, your heart rate and breathing speed up. This reduces nervousness and enhances the feeling of well-being. So you will provide the necessary margin of safety, which will help you survive stressful situations.