Want to improve your performance? Focus on this
There was a time where being a high performer meant putting every other aspect of your life on the back burner and devoting all of your time and energy to your work. Family, hobbies, and other obligations were cast aside. Rest and sleep in particular were a luxury the high performer could not afford. That thinking is changing in several ways. For one thing, being a high performer at work for the…
For a long time, the idea of being a high performer meant giving up everything else in your life and dedicating every waking moment to work. This mindset neglected the importance of rest and sleep, which are crucial for maintaining a high level of performance in the long run. In reality, striking a balance between work and personal life can enhance productivity and well-being.
Rest comes in two forms: calming rest and stepping away from work. Calming rest involves reducing stress throughout the day, while stepping away means taking breaks to engage in different activities. Calming rest can be achieved through techniques like controlled breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, and regular practice. These methods help lower stress levels and improve resilience to workplace challenges.
Taking breaks from work is also beneficial. When you continuously think about work problems, you get stuck in a specific mindset. Taking an hour or a few hours away from the problem allows your mind to reset and approach the issue from a new perspective. This is similar to how solving a crossword puzzle or playing a word game can help you see answers that you initially missed.
Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining high performance as well. Three key benefits of sleep include supporting learning, emotional resilience, and changing the way you think about problems. During sleep, your brain consolidates memories and processes new information. This consolidation supports learning and helps you retain knowledge.
Sleep also helps manage emotional stress. High levels of stress can lower your emotional resilience, causing you to react impulsively or make rash decisions. Regular sleep restores your ability to handle stress without negative consequences. Furthermore, sleep aids in separating emotional content from conceptual content, allowing you to approach problems more objectively and creatively.
Lastly, sleep provides a broader perspective on problems, helping you identify solutions that may not be apparent when focusing on details.
In conclusion, being a high performer is not solely about working tirelessly. It also involves managing your rest and sleep effectively. This balance supports physical and emotional health, enabling you to learn better and solve problems more efficiently.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
