"Do I look comfortable?" is a rhetorical question Cem Yılmaz poses to his audience during the second segment of his CMYLMZ (2007) performance. He freely acknowledges that this is not the case, despite giving the impression that he has been doing the same role on stage for twelve years: "Are you feeling enthusiastic?
You have no idea that I'm pissing in my trousers! We anticipate that someone with such experience will enter the stage with ease and do his duties in a "professional" manner. Nonetheless, rather than taking Cem Yılmaz's response as a joke, we can see it as a very genuine confession.
The fact that we all like seeing his performances, in my opinion, is the best evidence of this. What relevance does this have to stress, then?
This scene immediately springs to mind when discussing the impact of stress on performance.
Stress is brought on by the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline when we perceive a threat. Our body prepares to fight the threat with the aid of these hormones.
Yes, stress really helps to ensure our survival and give us the power to conquer the challenges we confront rather than making us pass out from strain.
Our bodies undergo certain modifications while we are under stress. Sugar and fat are released into the bloodstream by our liver. In order for our heart to receive more oxygen, our breathing quickens. In order to supply oxygen, fat, and sugar to the brain and muscles, our heart begins to beat more quickly.
Our senses get more heightened, our brain practically lights up, and we start to see and hear better. Everything that we consider to be a threat draws all of our attention, causing the background to become hazy.
Kelly McGonigal presents an anecdote from her book "Upside of Stress"—two adolescent Lebanese girls lifted a tractor to save their father who was stuck beneath it.
The girls said they didn't know how they lifted the large tractor, but they managed to do it when asked. People move into a new mode and our bodies become incredibly strong while under stress, trying to save something we care about.
Despite its negative connotations, particularly in the recent past, stress may be viewed as a life force that enhances us when we learn to control it and channel it in a constructive manner.
Stress itself is something we should value since it guides us towards the outcomes we seek in our daily activities when we adopt a learning-oriented mentality.
McGonigal notes in his book that stress plays a significant role in optimal performance. Peak performance emerges from stress, an internal energy source.