HOW STRESS AFFECTS PRODUCTIVITY
LESS ENERGY, A LOWER EFFECTIVENESS RATIO



The stressing way looks like this: (the forward arrows represent causes of the next item or energy units going forward)
             
Part I. First the effects of stress:
                                                    
      Stressed → Malfunction → Reduces % of energy applied effectively
                                                                        ↓
      Corresponding production diagram:

                   →→ →                 x                  66%                   =         →→
             Energy expended                  Effectiveness ratio                Net forward
                 3 units                                                                             2 units

(Though I've expended 3 units of energy, my effectiveness has dropped to the 66% level, so that I waste 33%, or1 unit, in inefficient application of energy.)


Part II.  Recovery cost (We're not through til we get back to our normal well-functioning state.) 

     We are stressed (out of balance, dysfunctional, harmed), therefore we need to
           spend:

           Energy to repair the bad effect back to zero:                 ←
                                                                                        1 unit of energy

(I have to spend energy to normalize.)

Summary of total energy units used:

           Initial energy used          3 units  (used in Part I to produce 2 units of value)
           Repair energy used         1 unit   (in Part II, to recover)
                Total units used         4 units

           Net applied                     2 units (I only had two units of productivity)
           Net lost units                  2 units (Four minus two applies)      

So, that means that I blew 2 units, as they were not applied to create any positive result!

It also means that if I drop the stress part of it, I can produce the same two net value units with only two units of energy - and then use the freed up units to produce something else!!!  (Or for more fun or to go a bit slower so I am not stressed...)
       
                                              
THE SMART ALTERNATIVE

Now, not even counting the permanent damage effect of stress, we could have paced ourselves, so we wouldn't be dysfunctional (stressed), which would increase our effectiveness percentage from 66% to 100%:

                   3 units x 100% =  3 units forward

By not having stress we produced a net 50% more with the same net energy (not counting the damage effect that has future energy costs).  Or, looking at it another way, I could have spent the 4 units of energy to produce 4 units forward - and then I would have 4 units forward - or twice the production.

Of course, if I wanted just 2 units of product, then I could spend 2 units of energy on some other high return activity such as fun, rejuvenation, something more satisfying…and so on…

Anyway, be aware that managing your life to not feel stressed is one of the most effective things you can do to increase your life productivity, but also to increase how you feel in and about life!