Avoid Fatigue, Burnout and Thrive With the New Science of Success

is it possible to have Limitless energy when you work that's what I wanted to figure out from reading the book Peak Performance elevate your game avoid burnout and Thrive with the new science of success by Brad stalberg and Steve Magnus from working with Elite level Executives entrepreneurs and athletes they cracked the code on how to achieve healthy and sustainable performance day after day I have three lessons from the book Let's jump in lesson one it all starts with one magic equation stress plus rest equals growth this equation works for both physical and mental goals if you want to grow you need to switch between a time of stress and a time of rest push yourself to a new limit just past the point of discomfort then after that stressful period take a break and rest it's helpful to think of yourself as a sprinter instead of a marathon runner a marathon runner runs at the same pace for hours on end until they are burnt out and exhausted Ed a sprinter runs hard takes a break and then runs hard again they are never too tired and always bursting with energy because they take frequent breaks sprinters understand that if they cycle stress and rest they will grow better than if they tried to run as fast as they could without stopping but how can you figure out what the right amount of stress is an easy way to see stress in action is in the gym if you want bigger muscles you need to lift weights but if you try to lift something too heavy you won't be able ble to lift it you'll quit or worse you might hurt yourself if you lift something too light you won't see any benefit from it you could lift all day but your arms won't grow any larger by finding a weight just outside of your comfort zone you grow without pushing yourself so hard that you injure yourself we see this in the business world too growing a new business is stressful work you have to hire new employees build products run marketing campaigns all while trying to make enough money to stay in business entrepreneurs can get stuck working over 60 to 80 hours a week if they aren't careful as they build their startups it's too much work you can't be at your best working 80 hours a week as the world champion Triathlon coach Max Dixon says anyone can work more but it takes real courage to rest to have Limitless energy you need to understand that rest is just as important as work rest isn't wasting time or doing nothing rest is an active process it's when physical and psychological growth occurs your body grows while you rest in sleep in the first hour after you've fallen asleep your body is flooded with growth hormones this is what helps your muscles and Bones grow bigger and stronger after exercise if you don't sleep and rest enough from hard training your body will break down don't try to stay awake and sneak in a bit more training or a few more hours of work instead prioritize your sleep the top researchers artists writers and Nobel Prize winners all follow the same rhythm of stress plus rest equals growth they call it periodization they spend time working intensely on a project then they step away from the work and rest research done by Mii chent mihi found after 50 years that the best and brightest were either completely immersed in their craft or they were taking time away from it to rest and recover this not only helped to prevent burnout but helped break through ideas and discoveries pop up their Aha and Eureka moments often didn't happen in the work but while resting think about it how many ideas do you come up with while bathing or cleaning dishes growth happens when you rest not when you work now that you understand this cycle you probably have one big question how should I rest and relax most people think rest is only sleeping or going on vacation but there's different kinds of rest that you can use on a day-to-day week to week and month-to-month basis let's start with three things that you can do to rest and recover on a day-to-day basis First Take a Walk it doesn't have to be long if you're an office worker something as short as a 6-minute walk outside has been shown to improve creativity 60% compared to your co-workers who stayed glued to their seats if you're stuck indoors due to bad weather a walk inside can still boost your creative output by around 40% that's worth the lap around the cubicles second try meditation this is the fastest way to switch from stress to rest sit in a comfortable place ideally somewhere quiet set a timer so you don't have to worry start with a minute breathe deeply for a few breaths in through your nose out through your mouth find a nice slow natural Rhythm if thoughts pop up notice that they're there then go back to focusing on the feeling of your breath take 10 breaths then go back to work third get social if you're stuck with a coding problem or trying to find the right word for an email get up from your desk and go and talk with co-worker try to talk and joke about what happened today talk about your plans for the weekend or what you're doing after work make sure to avoid complaining stress and worry you don't need to stress about the problems you walked away from by simply connecting with others you shift your nervous system into recovery mode your body produces feel-good hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties these will help you work better week toe rest is about managing how you feel most people come to work on Monday refreshed from the weekend they can still work pretty well on Tuesday but Wednesday hits and there's a serious problem motivation plummets productivity suffers the only thing you can think of at your desk is a nap in counting down the hours to Friday afternoon instead of trying to work five or six days straight without a break intentionally design a mini break in the middle of the week plan Wednesday to be a less intense day of work if you can sleep in and start your workday late schedule meetings deadlines and other commitments for Tuesday or Thursday use this as a day to take care of your body on a month-to-month basis start thinking vacations does it feel like you've been working non-stop is it hard to stay motivated and get work done you don't want to get out of bed in the morning you don't want to go to work you might not feel like doing anything at all this is a level of tiredness that's in your bones it's something more sleep in a long weekend won't fix when you feel this way you need to take a longer break if you've worked for several months in a row without a break try to schedule a vacation or at least a week off from work now that we've covered the different ways to rest and take care of yourself there's one type of rest that you need every day to perform at your best you need to take care of your sleep one of the greatest misconceptions is that if we rest or sleep we're wasting time but sleep is one of the most productive things we can do we don't grow when we're in the gym or when we're working on a project we grow in our sleep have you ever noticed interviews of professional athletes always mention how much they sleep time after time you'll hear professional football or basketball players talk about sleeping 8 nine and even 10 hours night you might think they are super lazy sleeping this much but the truth is this the best athletes in the world prioritize sleep not working is real work learning how to rest and recover is just as important as any exercise if you want to sleep like an elite athlete here's how you can fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep tonight first remember that sleep is productive you aren't wasting time there's nowhere else you need to be when it's bedtime don't try to answer one last email or scroll through your phone if you feel drowsy don't fight it whatever you are doing can wait until tomorrow morning second your bed is for sleep and sex that's it the only other exception is reading a paperbook to help you fall asleep don't eat don't watch TV nothing else you want your brain and body to know that when your head hits the pillow it's time to sleep third before you go to bed avoid exercise alcohol blue light and caffeine it's best not to have caffeine 6 hours before bed and try not to do intense exercise after dinner now that you understand how to rest how can you get your body and mind ready to perform lesson two peak performances start with a routine Peak performances aren't accidents they happen by Design to perform at your best you need to be intentional develop a warm-up create a place of your own and condition yourself to perform if you're an office worker think to yourself how can I set up my day so I have unlimited energy and focus what can you do to be ready and be at your best from the second you walk in the door start by creating your own personalized routine think of yourself as a mental athlete let's design a quick pre-work routine that you can try get up from your chair and reach for the sky with a big stretch loosen up any stiff muscles you have in your neck and shoulders then take a few breaths and calm or Center yourself focus on what tasks need to get done today write down three tasks so that you have a clear intention of what is most important now that your body is in a good spot you can look through your calendar or email for any meetings or deadlines that way there's no surprises right before you get to work is a good time to stop at the bathroom or grab a glass of water so there won't be any last minute distractions while this is a sample routine you should tweak and design it so it works for you the most important part of a routine is that it's practiced until it's automatic for you you don't have to think twice this is just what you do before you go to work by being consistent with your routine it'll help you perform at your best next create a place of your own this is your spot to get things done if you're trying to concentrate and focus you do it here this might be a specific table in your local coffee shop a conference room on the second floor of your office or a quiet thinking chair in a library no matter where it is your environment sets the stage for how you perform just like your bedroom is for sleep this place is where you go to work picture students sitting in a classroom there's research that proves test scores improve when you sit in the same chair every day when researchers had the students switch chairs their scores decreased they weren't as comfortable the change in environment was an added stress you don't want to add more stress try to make it cozy in just for you while also eliminating distractions when you're distracted it wastes time energy and effort your best work probably isn't done at the kitchen table next to your electric bill dinner and your son's homework by creating a place of your own you are teaching your brain and body this is where it's time to go to work work the final step in priming yourself for Peak Performance is conditioning author Stephen King has a specific routine and environment to write his books he knows that inspiration doesn't just strike mysteriously instead he knows every day he's going to write a thousand words he's going to write in the same place in the same chair at the same desk and for the same amount of time without fail when he hears the rock music of ACDC or Metallica start to play Steven knows it's time to start writing when he's in this chair with this music at this time he writes to recap if you want to work at your best you need to build a routine with a specific environment and condition yourself to this habit you can even go as far as to design your day around your working routine here's how you do that first design your day think of all the decisions you make in a day I bet you make at least five decisions before you leave for work in the morning one you wake up and have to choose what clothes to wear two what to eat for breakfast three what are your plans for lunch four what time are you eating five and how are are you getting to work today the truth is some of these decisions aren't important they don't matter too much in the moment but if you have to decide what to do every day these small choices add up you end up using energy willpower and focus before you even walk in the office door instead of letting small decisions steal your limited energy some people like Michael Joiner an award-winning doctor at Mayo Clinic choose to eliminate the small choices he focuses on what matters to him and plans his day around his research and his family that means he has a pre-plan packed lunch and wears similar clothes day after day he doesn't have to choose when he eats lunch his calendar is blocked off for the same time every day he's automated his morning so he doesn't waste time and energy on the Small Things by planning your day on purpose you save brain power because you've taken care of these small choices that can drain your energy second match activities with energy levels are you a morning person or a night person your body has a natural pattern of high and low energy called a chronotype if you want to perform at your best you need to do your most demanding work when your energy is at its highest then when you need to do administrative or creative work plan for those tasks during the off times Larks are morning Birds they are alert and energized as soon as the sun rises if you love mornings you should do your most productive work right away on the other hand don't schedule meetings after 4 p. m. there's not enough coffee in the world that can bring you back to the alert and Lively State you felt at 9:00 a.

m. when you start to get fatigued in the afternoon work on administrative tasks that are a bit boring and not mentally taxing that way you can be your best in the morning and still get some work done to end the day owls are most energized at night if you are a night owl you shouldn't plan a ton of morning meetings you'll look and feel sluggish lazy and lethargic your brain just won't work right until 11:00 a. m.