Navigating Stress: Understanding the Phases of the Normal-Pressure Continuum
When harnessed effectively, stress can be a powerful driver of growth and, when left unchecked, can become overwhelming. In our previous blog, Thriving Under Pressure: Unpacking How Stress Affects Us, we explored stress’s foundational role in shaping our ability to respond to challenges. This blog delves deeper into the Normal-Pressure Continuum framework to explain the different psychological states or phases and some of their triggers as we navigate and adapt to stress. By understanding these phases, we can better recognize where we stand on the continuum and take steps to move toward thriving rather than merely surviving.
As discussed in Thriving Under Pressure: Unpacking How Stress Affects Us, the Normal-Pressure Continuum explains how changes in the perceived amount of pressure influence human behavior and performance. The continuum is best represented as an inverted U curve, demonstrating how our behaviors and capacity to achieve our full potential shift based on the level of challenge we perceive. The inverted U curve also emphasizes the transitions individuals experience through various phases.
Understanding the phases and factors impacting people’s demeanor can prove useful in many contexts.
Influencing factors
The way you handle pressure depends a lot on two things: the factors influencing you and your level of resilience. First, there are all sorts of external triggers—things that add stress or shape how you perceive a situation. The main triggers or stressors people face include ambiguity or uncertainty, contextual intensity, time and priority management challenges that create a feeling of being overloaded, negative relationships, perceived mismatch of the expected competency, etc. The more of these factors you’re dealing with, the greater the pressure can feel.
But then there’s resilience. Resilience is the ability to effectively adapt and maintain psychological well-being despite stress, adversity, or trauma; in other words, it’s the capacity to bounce back and continue functioning positively. Resilience is the combination of stamina, skills, and experience that help you function within your coping limits over time.
Individuals develop adapted coping mechanisms to perceived environmental opportunities or constraints throughout their lifespans. When functioning under optimal conditions, individuals will, as a rule, rely on learnings that they have either internalized, mastered, are knowledgeable about, or are aware of.
When people evolve within a group or matrix system, and they overcome their resilience threshold, they fall into a silo mentality. A silo mentality is a well-known phenomenon where individuals/teams stop communicating or sharing information with other individuals/teams, which impedes the ability to collaborate, communicate and problem-solve with others.
The above elements combine to create a comprehensive framework for understanding human behavior under various conditions and pressures.
Understanding The Curve
Let’s break down the five zones to see what they’re all about—how they show up, the level of knowledge individuals can tap into, and the kind of outcomes they might lead to.
Depending on which zone someone is in, the extent of knowledge and skills they have access to will differ. In fact, as shown in Table 1, individuals can fully access everything they know (ranging from recent learnings to long-standing knowledge) only when they’re in their Comfort Zone. But as pressure increases, it gets harder to access newly-acquired information, and they tend to fall back on only what is already deeply ingrained.
Table 1
Phase 0: Boredom Zone – The Disengaged or Search Mode
The Boredom Zone is on one extreme of the continuum. Although boredom may sometimes activate positive behaviors such as challenge-seeking, creativity, reflection, and prosocial behavior, it is more commonly associated with adverse outcomes. Boredom can show up in different ways—sometimes as low-energy feelings like dissatisfaction, fatigue, or even sadness and resignation. Other times, it comes with high-energy reactions like frustration, restlessness, stress, or even aggression and counterproductive behavior.
The Normal-Pressure spectrum looks at frustration and feeling down as signs of high- and low-energy negative states. Basically, when key motivators like achievement, independence, or connection aren’t met, people either check out from what they’re doing or start looking for a new challenge.
Phase 1: Comfort Zone – The High-Performance Mode
At the peak of the inverted U curve is the Comfort Zone—the sweet spot where you’re at your best and feel in control. Here, you can intentionally choose how to respond, setting yourself and others up for success. When people operate in this space, they’re truly tapping into their full potential. The level of pressure feels just right, helping you stay both efficient and effective.
Phase 2: Transition Zone
When pressure mounts, you move into the Transition Zone whichoften manifests subtly, marked by uneasiness and slightly reduced efficiency. The Transition Zone is a two-mode zone where pressure builds up but can still be managed, usually when things are slipping or not unfolding as expected, or if goal attainment is put in jeopardy. Most individuals’ reactions will initially focus on clarifying ambiguity associated with the task and they tend to rely more extensively on their problem-solving skills or others’ expertise and skills. During this phase, an individual’s resilience level plays a significant role. If their actions successfully solve the issue in time, the pressure eases up, and they return to a high-performance state. A non-resolution or a lack of resilience will make them move to the next stage.
Transition Zone – The Pivot & Retain Control Modes
In the Pivot Zone, discomfort ranges from mild to moderate, and while people can rely on familiar skills, they often struggle with uncertainty. Some seek support or collaborate to regain stability, but others fall into a silo mentality—either trying to control the situation or withdrawing entirely. As pressure builds, the instinct to hold on to control becomes stronger, leading to over-analysis, rigid problem-solving, and a more combative mindset. If one manages to retain control, they return to their Comfort Zone; otherwise, they risk slipping further and towards Crisis Mode.
Phase 3: Crisis Zone – The Regain Control Mode
The individual level of discomfort with the topic or context will hover between a very high or a severe level of tension. The Crisis Zone occurs when a disruption is typically triggered by the absence of specific plans to deal with the disruption, a significant threat to system survival or goal attainment, or when there is little time to react. Moreover, the perception of crisis intensifies as the potential loss of control increases.
Within the Crisis Zone, people tend to act individually and rely on task-driven or transactional relationships. People are primarily on autopilot when tapping into their “internalized” knowledge and most ingrained experiences to regain control and save the day. If they are successful in their undertakings, they are repositioned within their Comfort Zone.
Striving for balance
Understanding the phases we navigate along the Normal-Pressure Continuum provides valuable insights into how stress influences our behavior and performance. By recognizing where we are on the continuum, we can take proactive steps to manage stress more effectively. The key lies in finding a balance that allows us to harness pressure as a motivating force while avoiding its negative impacts. With awareness and intentional strategies, we can navigate stress and maintain high performance in both professional and personal settings.
Years ago, Jean Phaneuf, one of Crysalia’s cofounders, was asked by a client why a new hire seemed to have two totally different personalities. Seeking to explain these shifts, Jean partnered with Organizational Psychology PhD candidates to study and explain these variations across a wider range of people and circumstances. From their peer-reviewed research, the Normal-Pressure Continuum was born.