Why Do People Get Stressed About Deadlines?

Imagine you're playing a game where you have to finish your task before the timer runs out, and if it does, you lose points. That's kind of like what happens in our brains when we get stressed about deadlines. Our brain thinks: ‘I need to do this now or I’ll be punished later.’ So, it gives us a rush of energy to help us work faster, but sometimes that makes us feel extra nervous.

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Examples

  1. A kid gets nervous before a test because they know it's due tomorrow.
  2. An office worker feels their heart race when they see ‘Project Due: Friday’ on their calendar.
  3. You rush to finish your homework after the bell rings, just to avoid being late.

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