A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, from at least one sensor, sensor data associated with an environment; computing, based on the sensor data, a cognitive load associated with a user within the environment; computing, based on the sensor data, an affective load associated with an emotional state of the user, the affective load comprising an arousal value and a valence value; determining, based on both the cognitive load and the affective load, an affective-cognitive load, wherein determining the affective-cognitive load comprises: applying an algorithmic technique to compute the affective-cognitive load as a function of the cognitive load, the arousal value and the valence value, and computing the affective-cognitive load by multiplying the valence value with a combination of the cognitive load and the arousal value; determining, based on the affective-cognitive load, a user readiness state associated with the user, the user readiness state indicating an ability of the user to handle one or more tasks in the environment, wherein the step of determining the user readiness state comprises: comparing the affective-cognitive load to a minimum affective-cognitive load threshold and a maximum affective-cognitive load threshold in order to determine that the affective-cognitive load is within a target affective-cognitive load threshold range, the affective-cognitive load being within the target affective-cognitive load threshold range indicating that the user is sufficiently engaged to respond to stimuli without being overwhelmed; and causing one or more actions to occur based on the user readiness state, wherein the one or more actions include causing one or more output devices and/or other applications to assist the user at a degree that corresponds to the determined user readiness state. receiving, from at least one sensor, sensor data associated with an environment; computing, based on the sensor data, a cognitive load associated with a user within the environment; computing, based on the sensor data, an affective load associated with an emotional state of the user, the affective load comprising an arousal value and a valence value; determining, based on both the cognitive load and the affective load, an affective-cognitive load, wherein determining the affective-cognitive load comprises: applying an algorithmic technique to compute the affective-cognitive load as a function of the cognitive load, the arousal value and the valence value, and computing the affective-cognitive load by multiplying the valence value with a combination of the cognitive load and the arousal value; applying an algorithmic technique to compute the affective-cognitive load as a function of the cognitive load, the arousal value and the valence value, and computing the affective-cognitive load by multiplying the valence value with a combination of the cognitive load and the arousal value; determining, based on the affective-cognitive load, a user readiness state associated with the user, the user readiness state indicating an ability of the user to handle one or more tasks in the environment, wherein the step of determining the user readiness state comprises: comparing the affective-cognitive load to a minimum affective-cognitive load threshold and a maximum affective-cognitive load threshold in order to determine that the affective-cognitive load is within a target affective-cognitive load threshold range, the affective-cognitive load being within the target affective-cognitive load threshold range indicating that the user is sufficiently engaged to respond to stimuli without being overwhelmed; and causing one or more actions to occur based on the user readiness state, wherein the one or more actions include causing one or more output devices and/or other applications to assist the user at a degree that corresponds to the determined user readiness state. comparing the affective-cognitive load to a minimum affective-cognitive load threshold and a maximum affective-cognitive load threshold in order to determine that the affective-cognitive load is within a target affective-cognitive load threshold range, the affective-cognitive load being within the target affective-cognitive load threshold range indicating that the user is sufficiently engaged to respond to stimuli without being overwhelmed; and causing one or more actions to occur based on the user readiness state, wherein the one or more actions include causing one or more output devices and/or other applications to assist the user at a degree that corresponds to the determined user readiness state.