The last minute

Racing to finish something? It needn’t be overwhelming if you can learn to reframe its importance

Deadline = a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished.

Deadlines. The very definition of the word is enough to bring you out in a sweat, with its ‘musts’ and ‘objectives’ and stifling constrictions. Yet the modern world is rife with them. At work and at home, the pressure is on to achieve and respond, if not instantly, then within a very short timeframe. Emails invade your screen, red flags urge action. Reports must meet publication dates. Quotas demand fulfilment. Negotiated offers threaten to expire.

Even leisure time is pressured: sign up for pre-release tickets… these seats will be held for five minutes… book now, limited availability.

Managed correctly, deadlines can help give your life structure. They enable you to prioritise tasks more effectively, tackle challenges and make rapid decisions. So why do they so often have the opposite effect – bearing down like storm clouds, impairing your vision and judgment and at worst bringing you to a standstill? Just what makes deadlines so stressful, and is there a way you can learn to love them – or at least make them work for you?

Diagnosing the problem

The evolutionary causes and physiological effects of stress are largely the same for everyone. When a situation is perceived as carrying risk, it triggers a cascade of physical and chemical changes in the body, notably an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension and release of stress hormones. Collectively known as the fight-or-flight response, it prepares the body to either escape danger or manage it.

When the danger is genuine, this behaviour is beneficial; when it is merely perceived, or is maintained over a long time, there can be negative impacts on mental and physical wellbeing.