While on vacation this summer on the Garden Island of Kauai, my husband and I had booked a botanical gardens tour. The rain made visibility difficult and slowed our driving. Our jeep climbed a muddy dirt road to a secluded parking lot that appeared to have a couple of rustic outbuildings. We were both focused on finding the right place to park and meet for the start of our 2-hour tour.
We saw a rustic open-air hut with greenery on the roof, with many chairs laid out and a podium. We found a place to sit in the indoor/outdoor room and listened as our guide gave the introduction to our tour. After we walked through stunning gardens, sampled chocolates from around the world, and savored fresh cloves, cinnamon, and ambrosia from the cacao fruit, we returned to where we began. I was stunned to notice brightly colored vines streaming in abundance all over the rustic hut. In my hurry to find the right place to go, so as not to miss our tour, I had brushed past the most spectacular flowing vine I had ever seen. Our guide said they were Indian Clock Vines, or Thunbergia Mysorensis. Their bright yellow and red flowers cascaded like wind chimes, covering the entire entrance to the meeting area. Another woman commented, “I didn’t notice them either! Aren’t they gorgeous.” Even though we came to the gardens to view plants, we almost missed seeing the stunning natural beauty hanging right in front of our eyes.
Stress and Attention
Even the mild stress we felt about arriving on time for our tour had distorted our perception of reality. We literally did not see what was right in front of us. Mild stress can increase our processing speed as we attend to a task, such as finding our destination on a map (Shields et al., 2019). The focus of attention on a task shapes what we let fall into the background and what we bring into the foreground. At higher levels, stress can slow our cognitive processing and increase our susceptibility to errors (Khodami et al., 2026).
Selective Attention
The ability to focus our attention on our objectives and not be seduced by distracting stimuli is an important executive brain function (Schneider, 2019). Driving in the rain on dirt roads demanded our focused attention to protect our safety. One reason we did not notice the Indian Clock Vines upon our arrival is that we were focused on finding the right place and making sure we did not miss the tour. We had not yet directed our attention to the plants. Everything but our objective became irrelevant background. Yet, after two hours of exploring, smelling, tasting, and savoring the plants, our vision awoke to the beauty of the place where we began. Our attention is highly shaped by our stress level, anxiety, expectations, and objectives.
Anxiety Can Distort Perception
When we feel anxiety and panic, we can become distracted by physical symptoms of stress such as sweating, dizziness, rapid heart rate, and gastrointestinal disturbances. We often interpret those symptoms as evidence that something is seriously wrong. Exaggerated negative interpretations of these symptoms can increase anxious thoughts that distort reality. Our stress response is real, but the conclusions we draw from those sensations are often not accurate.
Stress and anxiety can also affect memory and decision-making. Research shows that prolonged stress can impair cognitive functions, making it harder to concentrate, recall information, and evaluate situations objectively (Girotti, 2024). Under pressure, people may jump to conclusions, misinterpret events, or overlook important details.
Don’t Believe Everything You See
Selective attention is a necessary executive function of the brain that helps us accomplish our goals. Stress and anxiety can shape our interpretations of reality and lead us to misinterpret or miss important information. This can affect our relationships when we assume others are judging us harshly, rejecting us, or thinking poorly of us. Anxiety can magnify perceived social threats, leading to unnecessary worry and avoidance of social situations.
It helps to accept the fact that our perceptions of reality are limited. You’ve heard the phrase, “Don’t believe everything you think.” I recommend that we don’t believe everything that we see:
- Our eyes have a limited range and visual field to begin with.
- Much of what is in front of us we don’t even notice. (Many stay glued to their phones now, even while walking in public.)
- We can more easily correct our misperceptions when we loosen up the rigid belief in the accuracy of our own perceptions.
Daily stress management practices such as mindfulness, exercise, good sleep, and relaxation in nature can help us notice more and feel happier. You too might even get joyfully gobsmacked by a stunning Indian Clock Vine.
