Here’s Something I Don’t Hear People Talking About
If you want to be someone who is consistently a top performer, whether it is in business and career or even in athletics, you have to have a healthy nervous system first.
Period. End of Story.
Why? Our nervous systems are the foundation of our health and they take a beating every day, especially if you are a higher performer. High performers are more likely to:
- skimp on sleep
- skip meals or eat at their desks
- grab food that is convenient and quick (not necessarily healthy)
- work long hours
- may not get enough exercise (or in the case of athletes, may get too much)
- often are sitting in a lot in meetings (or never stop moving in the case of athletes)
- rarely experience silence
- constantly feeding their brains, but rarely give their brains a chance to rest
- have difficulty not being in “doing” mode
- are consistently under stress, even if at low levels
When you add all of this up, you get a beat up nervous system that is eventually going to crash on you either physically or mentally. Our nervous systems are still evolving and they have not caught up with the stress and strain of modern life. They are not meant to constantly be striving or constantly be fielding input (sight, sound, smell, stress, etc..). Your nervous system needs to be cared for, if you want to function at optimal levels and eek out those last bits of peak performance without crashing.
Here are some things you can do instead to help your nervous system stay healthy.
- Get enough sleep; 6-8 hours a night for adults
- Meditate; puts the nervous system into relaxation mode and helps clear the mind
- Socialize: humans need social interaction to thrive
- Feed your body and your brain with proper nutrition
- Get proper exercise; not too much or too little, balance hardcore exercise with light days
- Spend time in silence each day for even a few minutes
- Spend time in nature
Having a healthy nervous system is actually the foundation of peak performance. Without it, you will eventually crash and burn. With it, you will have more focus, more energy, more creative ideas and solutions. You will even be more productive. I know, you think taking the time away from work to do these things will cost you, but in actuality research shows that you will be more efficient, more focused, and have more clarity which leads to more productivity.
Need help creating Sustainable Peak Performance in your life to accomplish that next big goal? Contact me and let’s talk about how to get you there.
Be Well,
Dr. Donna