I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of stress in our lives and came across something that flipped my perspective: the Yerkes-Dodson Law. It’s a behavioral science concept that maps the relationship between stress and performance.

• Too little stress: You’re bored, disengaged, and uninspired.

• Just the right amount (a.k.a. eustress): You’re focused, energized, productive.

• Too much stress: You’re anxious, overwhelmed, burnt out.

At the heart of this month’s reflection is a powerful concept from behavioral science called the Yerkes-Dodson Law, first introduced in 1908. It shows how performance and stress are intimately linked—but not in the way most of us think.

• On the left, you’re under-stimulated. You’ve got no pressure, no urgency, and honestly, no interest. That’s boredom.

• In the middle, you’ve got the “just-right” amount of pressure. You’re alert, engaged, creative, focused. This is called eustress, the good kind of stress.

• On the right, you’re overwhelmed. Deadlines are crashing in, expectations are mounting, and your nervous system is on red alert. That’s distress, and it tanks performance.

Why This Matters Right Now

We’re living in an era of chronic change—layoffs, reorgs, budget cuts, shifting priorities. The line between helpful pressure and harmful stress is thin and blurry.

How Stressed Are You… Really? Let’s reflect

This month, I’ve been tuning into my stress signals and asking myself:

5 Questions to Measure My Stress Levels

1. Am I waking up with a sense of excitement or dread about this task?

2. Does thinking about this make me feel energized or exhausted?

3. Am I overthinking this task or completely detached from it?

4. Would I do this even if no one asked me to—or am I only doing it out of obligation?

5. If I stopped doing this tomorrow, would I feel relieved or regretful?

My reflection:

• If stress feels low, I might not be invested enough—maybe it’s not meaningful.

• If it’s high, I ask: is this temporary anxiety or a chronic misalignment?

• If it’s medium, that’s my sweet spot. I’m challenged, growing, and still having fun.

One decision I made recently: I’m pressing pause on video podcasting with guests.

While the idea excited me, the logistics gave me more headaches than joy.

Instead, I’m shifting to something lighter: my own YouTube channel, filled with sketches, corporate humor, and reflections. That’s where my energy feels right.

This Month’s Madness: Give Yourself a Job Title

If your real job title doesn’t reflect the chaos, care, and creativity you bring—make one up!

Here are some tongue-in-cheek titles inspired by real-life roles we all play:

Chief Firefighter Officer – Solving last-minute crises no one planned for (again).

Vibe Regulator- Keeping morale alive through budget cuts and broken coffee machines.

Reorg Whisperer- Calmly waiting for the 17th restructuring to settle.

Chief Vent Absorption Officer- Specializes in nodding, empathizing, and absorbing complaints like a corporate sponge. Emotional labor? Unlimited

Strategic Space Filler- Attending meetings that could’ve been emails with style.

Hope Maintenance Manager- Keeping belief alive while metrics nosedive.

Head of Experimental Chaos- Trying everything in the book to spark synergy—except reading the actual book

Chief Refresh Button Officer- Expert in refreshing inboxes and calendars, waiting for the next assignment.

Your turn: If you had to title yourself based on the past 6 months, what would it be?

Work should challenge us, but it should also make us laugh, think, and maybe even dance a little in the middle of it. That’s the Method in Madness.

Until next time, Saby, Chief Behavioral Mischief Officer, Method in Madness