The Unspoken Source of Physiological Stress

Yesterday, I came across a disturbing idea: engaging in prolonged, intense cognitive activities can trigger a physiological stress response in your body, activating the ‘fight or flight’ mode.

Picture this: you’re at home, in a comfortable and engaging environment, working continuously for 4 hours on a high-cognitive task. You are fed and hydrated; temperature, light and music are great; you feel great. Still, because of the prolonged duration, your body will inevitably go into fight or flight mode, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

It’s a form of physiological stress. Even without mental or emotional stress, sustained cognitive activity can lead your body to respond with a stress reaction.

Our brain operates on an ultradian rhythm — alternating periods of high-frequency activity (90–110 minutes) followed by lower-frequency activity (20–30 minutes).

During lower-frequency activities, you might feel difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and fogginess, signalling the need for a break. However, we often resort to artificial ways to pump up our energy: caffeine, high-sugar foods, and our body’s stress hormones.

It’s remarkable how there’s a lack of general awareness about it and how that’s not discussed more broadly and baked into modern ways of working.

After working remotely for the last four years, I can see how it has impacted the natural break pattern experienced by commuting to an office setting. At home, the absence of physical interactions and environmental changes, like walking to a meeting room or chatting at the water cooler, leads to fewer organic breaks, resulting in longer uninterrupted work periods, increasing fatigue and reducing overall productivity and well-being.

I am now consciously incorporating breaks and varying my activities to align with my body’s natural rhythms.