Everyone recognizes this acronym: ASAP. When we think, imagine a boss or a co-worker who comes to us with such requirements, we can feel a range of different emotions growing within us.
We may feel angry – “Me again! Again, I have so many things to do and another one lands on my list. “
We can feel anxious – “oh, I have so many tasks to do, I’m not sure if I can do it. If I fail, my boss will not consider me a good worker. “
We can feel a little adrenaline rush that can affect our motivation – “yes, this is an interesting challenge, I like it, I’ll take a look at it in a moment”.
Looking at each emotion triggered by this ASAP, we can observe a different response at the behavioral level:
– we could take active steps;
– we could avoid acting;
– we could focus on the emotional response (social interactions or substitute activities).
This is the way, how Endler & Parker describe reaction to a stressful situation.
If we tend to take proactive action, it means that we will likely find a solution to this situation and be able to cope with this task ASAP. What favors it? Perhaps you will change the current priorities of your tasks or consult them with yours. Perhaps you will be attentive to communicating the obstacles that will arise in completing this task as you will be focused on finding a solution.
If we tend to avoid acting in such situations, it means that we will most likely try to avoid facing this challenge and postpone it until the last minute, which in turn can generate more stress and unwanted emotions.
If we are prone to getting into an emotional response, we have two options to either engage in social interactions (e.g. complaining about the current situation) or engage in substitute activities (doing anything other than the task we need to do now).
Do you see any of these trends in your behavior?