STRESS, HEALTH, AND HIGH PERFORMANCE
Stress, health, and high performance: A guide for the corporate high performer
In this article, we will be looking into the topic of stress from two angles, every-day life, and science. We’ll share some insights on how to start interpreting the signals of your body with the help of data and give you actionable advice for you to implement in daily life.
Whether you are a high-stake negotiator constantly under high pressure and deadlines - or simply curious about the topic of stress, this one is for YOU!
Let’s get started, shall we?
What is this feeling of “stress”?
Are you constantly running behind your schedule? Are you late or almost late to meetings daily? Do you quickly eat a bagel, banana, or a protein bar at your desk as you don’t have the time for lunch? Did “someone” fill your calendar with back to back meetings? Will you be squeezing in running intervals between dinner and late-night work on the sofa?
Do you feel irritated or have mood swings?
Do you feel like your brain is not working on the level it should? Sometimes you forget about things, sometimes you have a hard time finding solutions or creative ideas – as your brain is just “foggy” or “frozen”.
Is this because of stress? Maybe, maybe not. You may feel like you are delivering and performing. You have energy and motivation but occasionally you feel worn down or exhausted.
Stress is everywhere
If everything is important, how do you prioritize? Work has to be done, promotion may be just around the corner, workouts have to be completed, the family is a priority, friends need to be invited for dinner, kids have a zillion hobbies, the dog needs walking. Sounds familiar?
Your body could be running on a stress level throughout the day, with nowhere to escape, i.e. “wind down and rest, and recover”. Later on, in this article, we talk about measuring heart rate variability and resting heart rate, a situation where we may reveal problems that could eventually lead to serious health issues in the long run if not addressed. These serious issues could be anything from physical sickness, continuous sleep disruption, burn-outs, hormonal imbalances, declined cognitive capacity and performance, relationship issues, etc.
Stress affects everything, including your cognitive performance and capacity. Stress is also needed!. And stress can’t be avoided.
Stress needs to be handled. And lead. By you.
From a science point of view: what are we talking about?
Our heart rate is controlled by the two branches of the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) releases hormones (catecholamines - epinephrine and norepinephrine) to accelerate the heart rate. Both parts of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work involuntarily. Sympathetic is responsible for the response commonly referred to as "fight or flight," while parasympathetic is referred to as "rest and digest.” We want to avoid having that sympathetic nervous system active day AND night. This is what a lifestyle of "too much of everything and no conscious control" could potentially cause.
Stress has many faces
Stress can be both positive and negative. It can be short term and long term. Goes without saying that long term negative stress is a situation we don’t want to be in. Short term stress, well, that’s something we all will and actually should experience during our lives. It keeps us going. Cortisol, the “stress hormone” wakes us up, gets us going in the morning! There’s no point in fearing stress. Eventually, things pile up and we can’t clear things, and we feel stressed. Or a sudden change of course happens, we are not prepared.. signaling stress to our brain and body. We are supposed to react and be able to act in a stress striking situation. Like animals, when they are attacked, some lizards freeze and “camouflage” to match the environment (you can’t see me now!).. some run for their lives. Some attack.
Adrenaline, cortisol... friends or enemies?
We human beings actually act similarly as animals (described above) but luckily most times not literally the same. Depending on personality and situation, we indeed may either freeze, fight or flight. Hormones are released in our system, adrenalin giving us the kick we need to take action. Ever sprained or even broke your ankle and still been able to walk for another 30 minutes before the pain comes and makes you stop? Yes, that’s the adrenaline working.
When we are in a prolonged state of pain, or hectic, too stressful, uncontrollable, or unmanaged life… those stress hormone (cortisol) levels may stay up (too) high for (too) long, leading to a weakened immune system (that’s why many who feel super stressed, end up getting a cold on top of everything else!) and worst case, burnouts.
So, when your ankle is broken – don’t continue walking with it. Same advice, if you feel stress is becoming too much, stop, acknowledge, and reflect, and react. Don’t try to force your way through stress. Make some necessary changes to your lifestyle.
Moving towards antifragile
People can go to great lengths and strength when under pressure, specifically short term pressure. You’ve heard about mothers who lift cars when their child has been run over by one. We can utilize short term pressure, adrenaline, and stress to our advantage. This requires some serious self-reflection and knowledge of how your system works and reacts. Learning to interpret your system and signals, you will learn to lead stress. The aim is to move away from managing stress to leading it. Ultimately so that you are gaining from crises and not having to fear the unknown. Moving towards antifragile (gaining from volatility!). Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better! 2020 has truly been the year the topic of resilience has become central for many, individuals and organizations.
We predict 2021 is the year of the antifragile.
Wish to learn more about “antifragile”? Read Nicholas Nassem Taleb’s book, Anti Fragile: Things that gain from disorder.
How to prepare and be on top of your game?
Let’s take a step back to the everyday life of a business executive, a negotiator for instance. Tough meeting ahead. You want to be on top of things. What to do, how to prepare?
As you cannot predict everything nor be 100% prepared when dealing with people and personalities, who may be using tactics and sudden changes may happen. What are the things you actually can influence?
Think: How can I make my body and mind, my system, work in the best possible way in that important meeting without fearing to lose control? Preparing tactics, techniques, scenarios yes. AND what else?
High-performance preparation recipe
Sleep: Create routines for evening and morning that support good quality sleep
Breathe: Nose breathing is key. Practice chosen breathing techniques for stress relief.
Nutrition: Learn what works for you and what doesn’t. Eat to boost performance when you need it.
Fresh air: Before an important meeting (and on an everyday basis), get fresh air to boost your brain. Make sure the air is fresh at the office/home. Invest in air purifiers, cleaning those A/C units, purchase green walls and plants
Exercise: Get energy, release stress. Choose the right movement to match the situation at hand. A short sprint to get your heart rate up before an important meeting, followed by breathwork of 5 minutes may be just what you need!
Learn how to calm your mind and body down when you need it the most:
Breathwork (Navy Seal box breathing for instance)
Silent acknowledgments (“It is all good”)
The world is not making this easy for us
The world has come to the state where we human beings are obliged to go back to the very basics of the human system to survive in this rapidly changing and developing world. Pandemic, crises, and uncertainty - is your system fragile or resilient? Do you have the “very basics” functioning in the way that your body will protect you from stress?
Ironically, our brains have actually not developed at equal speed with the developments we create. We are not meant to be able to handle all the buzz and entertainment that is available.
By consciously choosing to slow down and going back to basics might actually make us less fragile and better at coping with the turbulent times.
Whether you just simply wish to survive a crisis, manage stress, or to become a superhuman, these really are the three crucial “methods” to look into:
Nutrition
Sleep
Breathing
Sounds simple, right? Actually, these three are what cause most of the issues for people in today’s world.
Nutrition
Eating, “whatever” ready-made and deep-fried to microwaving everything. To all organic yet expensive, Atkins diets, paleo, gluten-free, plant-based, and vegan… but why?
What is the correct way of eating, anyway?
Start with the basics: Understand why food matters for your everyday executive business performance. Be mindful when you eat and eat for a reason - feed your body and mind. Eat what you need to eat and stop guessing what works. What works for the neighbor may not work for you, at all.
Learn how to nourish your brain. What are those quality foods and liquids you need to keep performing at the top – as a corporate high performer?
The information and science for individualized nutrition planning are out there, all the way from analyzing your genetic blueprint to optimizing your metabolic state, which will guide you in the right direction. The key message here: Don’t neglect food. You should never be too busy to skip nutrition. Your brain needs a variety of nutrients and vitamins to function.
Sleep
Sleep trends change. Thank God, we say.
"Sleeping less than 5 hours is cool and that's what a top performer does" to today’s “sleep deprivation is a big problem and we see a clear link between sleep disturbances, electronics, and blue lights”. Hacking your sleep is indeed trendy in 2020. Then again focusing on improving sleep should not become another stress factor in your life. Find routines that support healthy sleep and recovery. Find out what type of nutrition and diet supports your recovery and a good night's sleep. Stick to them. Our bodies appreciate routines and being nourished properly.
The "why" of sleep
All phases of sleep have a purpose: mental and physical recovery, memory function, etc. Have you heard of Deep Sleep and REM? Well, you need both to survive AND to thrive. Quality over quantity - or actually quality AND quantity. Again, you need both. Short night sleep will most likely result in minimal REM sleep and you may wake up less refreshed, feeling your “brain is not functioning” as you’d like. Can you survive the day? Most likely yes. Can you survive years? Yes, probably. Will that have an impact on your performance and health in the long run? Yes, most likely.
Some of the serious potential health-related issues associated with long term or chronic sleep deprivation are high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure, or stroke. As we can see looking at the heart rate variability data: People who sleep poorly, tend to have lower HRV, even short term. Other potential problems include weight gain, obesity, depression, a fragile immune system, and lower sex drive.
Why focus on breathing?
Most of us just breathe and have never considered the "why and how" of breathing. Have you?
Improved stress resilience – lead your stress!
Faster recovery – physical and mental
Increased focus – better productivity
Higher energy and stamina
Ultimately, longevity, improved life!
We may not know how to breathe!
We are meant to breathe 5-7 breaths per minute. Current statistics say people in the Western world breathe approximately 19 (!) breaths a minute. That is insane over-breathing. This has a crucial impact on our focus, our so-called executive function, and makes us more reactionary. Doesn't sound very rational or safe for a person with decision-making power, leading a business or a group of people, or executing a high-stake negotiation. 14+ breaths per minute is an indicator of anxiety (even though you don’t have it or feel like it). You function but not on the level you are meant to perform. Most of it is "stressful chest breathing".
Makes you think. Take this simple test: How many breaths do you take (without really thinking about it), in 60 seconds?
Breathing is central to the wellbeing of your system and is a great way of reducing stress. By stimulating and activating the vagus nerve we reduce anxiety and increase the parasympathetic system (that “rest & digest” mode).
What on earth is the vagus nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It connects your brain to many important organs throughout the body, including the gut, heart, and lungs.
The word "vagus" means “wanderer” in Latin, which accurately represents how the nerve wanders all over the body and reaches various organs.
The vagus nerve is also a key part of your parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system. It influences your breathing, digestive function, and heart rate, all of which can have a huge impact on your mental health.
But what you need to pay special attention to is the "tone" of your vagus nerve. Vagal tone is an internal biological process that represents the activity of the vagus nerve.
Increasing your vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having a higher vagal tone means that your body and mind (!) can relax faster after stress.
It all comes together now: HRV, HR, and your vagal tone! When your heart rate variability (HRV) is high, your vagal tone is also high. This is the reason you may want to track your heart rate, and even more importantly your heart rate variability. Body data is extremely interesting and equally important for any high-performing business executive out there.
The importance of heart rate variability
Your HRV gives us an indication of your current nervous system state. Are you in a stressful state (low HRV), or recovered and ready to nail the day (higher HRV). Simultaneously, a lower HR indicates a restful healthy state, as a higher pulse rate gives you feedback that your body may be under stress. A healthy heart beats irregularly (heart rate variability).
HRV and HR are of course unique to you and should not be compared with anyone else than your own. By learning about your system trends over a longer period, we start to understand when your body, your system is at its best and when it might be compromised (due to illness, stress, over-training, or something else). We are one step closer to LEADING our stress and performance instead of MANAGING them. From a reactive to a proactive approach.
If you are eager to get started and don’t know-how. Continue reading.
Trackers, devices, and training
There are plenty of trackers out there, at Saga Performance we like to use Oura smart rings and Firstbeat BodyGuard devices for what we’ve (and external studies) found the most accurate HRV tracking. Wrist trackers are maybe more common (watches and bands) but research tells us, measuring HRV from the wrist may not be as accurate as with an ECG type of device or from your finger.
Can you train your HRV and enhance your vagal tone?
You can indeed. Having a good balance of rest, recovery, and activity levels should secure a healthy system – but for actively working on improving it, consider high-intensity interval training (depends on your current health of course), strength training, cold exposure (cold showers for instance) and breathing exercises (that vagal tone!) or meditation for instance.
Most of us welcome tricks and tips but if we’re stuck with habits that aren’t serving our systems.
What would it take for you to break the habits that are not serving the purpose and keeping you from living life to the fullest and grow?
Long story made very short
Take control, create routines, say no, be mindful and conscious about taking breaks, and wind down after the day. Manage and own your time. Make sure you have some time to play and have fun. You are here to succeed, not to suffer. High performance is ultimately being in charge and finding balance in life and creating the optimal stage for both your body and mind to thrive.
You’re after a longer story? Keep reading!
Understanding the science behind your performance
Firstly, if you want to LEAD stress and performance, you need to understand the science behind things. Things meaning why your body and brain act the way they do in certain situations.
We went through the autonomic nervous system with the parasympathetic and sympathetic zones. Now let’s talk a bit more about hormones such as cortisol – oftentimes referred to as the stress hormone. And, not to forget about melatonin – the well-known sleep hormone.
A smooth collaboration of hormones and neurotransmitters will get you there
You won’t “win” a crucial debate or negotiation by just having loads of adrenaline in your system, especially if your cortisol levels are high too. That sounds like a stressful state, doesn’t it? Have a negotiation for instance: we need focus, have an eye for the game, to be able to maneuver the way we like in a controlled and calm manner. Would we be able to fully eliminate stress? We doubt that - and that’s not our goal either. A hint of cortisol and adrenaline will give you that kick, and simultaneously serotonin and oxytocin will help you with empathy, building trust, and that need related to your counterpart to reach a win-win. Dopamine is an interesting one. Giving you that “winner feeling” but it’s also easy to get addicted to that in today’s world. Did you know that social media usage is creating dopamine addictions as people seek these quick rewards from likes, comments and notifications?.
Last-minute preparation may backfire
Late-night last-minute preparations for an important meeting in the morning? Being slightly stressed about it may already affect your good night’s sleep (quality and quantity) and cortisol blocking your melatonin. But staring at that blue light coming from your screen won’t make things better. Worst case the blue light acts as a melatonin blocker, which means signaling your brain it is time to stay awake when you should be going to sleep and recovering before that crucial meeting tomorrow.
Pro tips
Purchase filters for your screen (for instance Iris Tech is a good download) and get a pair of blue light blocking glasses (BluBlox for instance) will help. And of course, aiming for the routine where you get to wind down without screens 1-2 hours before bedtime.
How to wind down then when there’s a limited amount of time for that (too)? Breathwork, meditation work wonders even in a short time frame. And why not testing an app like Brain.fm for sleep and relaxation AND focus during the day.
Succeeding in conscious performance optimization and leading your stress is about balance, balanced stress, balanced and optimal hormone function – and ultimately a balanced lifestyle. It starts with the curiosity of oneself and gaining knowledge. Learning about the benefits and risks, symptoms, and healthy actions will already take you far.
And as with many things in life, remember:
"You must master the basics before you try to take yourself to the next level."
Know yourself, interpret signals, create awareness, and stillness. Learn how to reset. Learn how to focus. Measure, track, learn about your body in ways that suit you best. All this will also create (positive) control and calmness.
Routines create flexibility and free space and time for other important things. Start building sustainable routines that support productivity, recovery, and creativity!
Want to continue reading? Check out the Ultimate Guide to Handling Negotiation Stress by our partner, negotiation expert Pavel Novak.
If you want step by step professional guidance, apply to our data driven fully tailored high performer coaching programs (all virtual), by scheduling a first meeting.
About the author
Satu Ahlman is the Founder and Performance Advisor at Saga Performance. Her passion is for people development through a systems approach to performance, leadership, and life. This leads to incredible results with top executives, athletes, and entrepreneurs around the world.
About Saga Performance
Saga Performance works with corporate professionals as the catalyst to achieving and sustaining high performance. Typically, our clients are executives, entrepreneurs, and driven corporate professionals who seek to optimize performance – including nutrition, sleep, and ability to cope with stress. Through genetic analyses, stress and recovery assessments, and behavior modifications, our clients reach optimal high performance, higher energy, increased focus, and resilience.