Last May, amidst a successful season with the Golden State Warriors, 33-year-old shooting guard and small forward Andre Iguodala took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington for the Thrive Global Podcast with iHeartRadio. Iguodala is an investor in Thrive Global and has experienced first-hand the impact that well-being can have on performance.
When Iguodala realized he wasn’t getting the sleep he needed for peak performance, he started seeing a sleep therapist. He says he learned that there are many factors that can affect sleep quality, including screen-time. Iguodala puts his phone on airplane mode before going to sleep every night. Now that it’s become a habit, he says he’s never even tempted to look at his phone in the middle of the night. “It’s interesting,” Iguodala explains. “It’s almost like giving up certain foods. I’ve given up certain foods, and I’m never tempted to go back and eat it. Same thing when I wake up, if I wake up in the middle of the night, which is pretty rare now, I don’t even touch the phone.”
The 2012 NBA All-Star’s focus on quality sleep — aided by this restricted screen-time — paid off on court. With better sleep, his points per minute, free-throw percentage, and three-point percentage all increased.
At home, Iguodala appreciates that his wife has limited their use of technology by creating a family reading time. “It gives you a chance to sit down and you can turn your mind off to the triggers that just draw you in and may not be productive for you,” he says. For Iguodala, one of those unproductive habits is social media. “Sometimes you catch yourself on social media for 20 or 30 minutes,” he explains, “and when you’re done, you just realized you didn’t see anything and it’s like, where did the last 30 minutes go?”
Iguodala brought his beneficial approach to sleep and well-being to the rest of his team. “I think our team is ahead of the curve as far as making sure that the players are in the most comfortable situation whether we are home or away,” he says. Anyone can benefit from a good night’s sleep and some time away from their screens.
To hear the full conversation, click here.
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