Modern life is like a road full of twists and turns. New, often unexpected situations arise that we need to handle, while also trying to keep up with the accelerating pace of our world. This can trigger anxiety and stress—which we have grown somewhat accustomed to. Few people, however, realize how this emotional burden affects our brains. Let’s explore how anxiety impacts our thinking, creativity, and behavior, and why it plays a key role in burnout and memory blackouts.
Narrowed Thinking
Anxiety causes our thinking to “narrow.” Worrying thoughts constantly interfere with our cognitive processes, forcing us to expend significant energy just to focus on what we need. These repetitive, circular negative thoughts are described in the literature as “rumination.”
Closely related is the concept of “brain fog,” a state in which we feel dull, tired, and unable to think clearly. Even simple everyday tasks require more effort and take longer than usual. This restricted thinking can prevent the development of new ideas and problem-solving abilities.
Impaired Memory
Anxiety also damages short-term memory and cognitive processes. At its core is fear—when anxious, we feel threatened. Verbal and visuospatial information is distorted, making it difficult to process. This impairs learning and memory.
Long-term memory is not spared either. Stress and fear can make retrieving information more difficult, even if it was well learned. In extreme emotional situations, fear can lead to a “blackout,” where memory fails entirely, and we cannot recall previously learned material.
Chronic anxiety can also impair spatial memory, affecting our ability to remember directions or navigate environments. This can influence our orientation and spatial awareness.
Divided Creativity
There is a fine line between creativity and anxiety. Anxiety can cause concentration problems, low self-confidence, and reduced energy and motivation, making creative thinking more difficult. However, the flip side is that anxiety can also enhance creativity. Struggling with anxiety can inspire some people toward artistic, musical, or literary creation.
Interestingly, research shows that highly creative and gifted individuals are often most acutely affected by anxiety. The culprit is imagination—the same brain capable of producing unique artistic works can also envision terrifying scenarios, all thanks to an unlimited imagination.
Burnout Syndrome
The connection between anxiety and burnout is clear. Chronic stress and anxiety deplete our mental resources and slow cognitive performance. Anxiety acts as a catalyst, amplifying feelings of exhaustion and the inability to handle daily challenges effectively.
Burnout is typically experienced in the workplace. Research shows that multiple forms of anxiety contribute to burnout. For example, individuals with high social anxiety also report higher levels of burnout. Work demands, external effort, and excessive engagement are linked to increased anxiety. The more emotionally exhausted, cynical, and ineffective a person feels, the higher their anxiety levels.
Memory Distortion and Negative Bias
Anxiety can sometimes create false memories, where we recall events or details inaccurately. People with anxiety also tend to focus on negative aspects of situations, creating a vicious cycle where stressful events and negative thinking reinforce anxiety and distort perception.
Avoidant Behavior
Anxiety often leads to avoidance of certain behaviors, situations, or environments that trigger it. This can significantly limit the acquisition of new experiences, skills, and learning opportunities.
Sleep Disruption
Finally, anxiety can prevent sleep. We toss and turn, unable to fall asleep due to mental hyperactivity and persistent worries. Research shows that anxious individuals may even fear falling asleep. When they do manage to sleep, REM phases often involve vivid dreams. Anxiety also triggers nightmares, disrupting sleep and reinforcing fear of falling asleep—a vicious cycle.
The relationship is bidirectional: lack of sleep can trigger or worsen anxiety disorders and impair the ability to learn and retain new information.
Understanding these mechanisms can help individuals find ways to free themselves from these mental states and build resilience to stress.
