Mrs. Zaynab Yaseen Ahmed
Assistant Lecturer/ Faculty of Nursing
TIU – Erbil
Q: Why do your colleagues at work often overreact during high-stress workplace situations?
A: When work deadlines pile up, performance targets become harder to meet, or you receive a difficult email, your brain may react as if you are facing a real physical threat. This activates the body’s natural “fight-or-flight” response, releasing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
As stress increases, it becomes more difficult to manage your emotions and think clearly. Instead of responding calmly, you may react automatically by making quick judgments, speaking impulsively, or responding defensively during meetings and conversations with colleagues.
Q: How do these sudden overreactions negatively impact your career and performance reviews?
A: Colleagues and supervisors judge your professionalism based on two main qualities:
- Your Technical Skills
- How Well You Work with Others
When you experience high levels of stress, you may become more emotional, making it harder to think clearly and communicate effectively. Sending a defensive message or losing your composure during a stressful situation can leave a lasting negative impression on your team.
Since performance evaluations and career advancement often depend on teamwork, professionalism, and emotional control, repeated conflicts or emotional reactions can damage your reputation and reduce your chances of being considered for leadership roles.
Q: Can structural brain changes occur if corporate stress goes unmanaged?
A: Yes. Recent brain research shows that long-term work stress and excessive workloads can affect the structure and function of the brain, especially areas responsible for decision-making, self-control, and emotional regulation. When these brain regions are under constant stress, it becomes more difficult to think flexibly, stay calm, and control emotional reactions. As a result, people are more likely to respond impulsively or emotionally when they are under pressure.
Stress Shapes the Brain, Choose Staying Calm.
Q: What is the practical mechanism for training your nervous system to stay calm?
A: Training your nervous system means learning how to calm your body’s stress response instead of reacting automatically. Simple techniques such as slow, deep breathing and other relaxation exercises activate the body’s natural calming system, helping reduce stress and anxiety.
Practicing these techniques regularly helps you recover more quickly from stressful situations, stay emotionally balanced, and respond calmly instead of reacting impulsively.
Pause. Breathe. Reset. Then Respond.
Q: How does mastering this internal pause safeguard your professional reputation?
A: Managing your emotions does not mean ignoring your feelings or concerns. It means taking a brief moment to pause before reacting. This short pause helps you think clearly, communicate respectfully, and handle stressful situations with confidence. Over time, learning to manage your stress protects your mental well-being, strengthens your relationships with colleagues, and allows your performance to reflect your true abilities instead of temporary emotional reactions.
“In every stressful moment, remember: you cannot always control what happens around you, but you can always choose how you respond. That choice shapes your health, your relationships, and ultimately, your success.”
References
BMJ Group. (2025). Overwork and changes in brain structure: A pilot study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 82(6), 345–352. https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/early/2025/05/08/oemed-2025-110057.full.pdf
Harvard Health Publishing. (2024, April 3). Understanding the stress response. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/understanding-the-stress-response
Leger, K. A., Lee, S., Chandler, K. D., & Almeida, D. M. (2022). Effects of a workplace intervention on daily stressor reactivity. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 27(2), 152–163. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000297
MDPI. (2026). The effects of vagus nerve stimulation on stress, competitive anxiety, and depression: A randomized controlled trial. Applied Sciences, 15(16), 9105. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/16/9105