Stress and Performance
Everything started to change. As time went on the stress started to climb. Emotions were running wild around me, in my home, with my clients and my friends. Sometimes we can know exactly what needs to be done, the clear path to move forward but we are stuck, frozen in our tracks. This is common when we are in the emotional part of our brain, the limbic system, we are on alert and find it difficult to think clearly, we are not rational enough to make decisions that will serve us best.
When faced with these types of stressful situations we revert to our default network, where we naturally go in our comfort zone. This may show up in our behaviour as anything from retreat/avoid, to step up/high function. When Covid hit me, I went directly into high functioning trying my best to juggle ALL of the balls, be of service to everyone and anyone, meet all my business obligations, exercise, household, home learning, shopping, meal plan, the list goes on and on and on.
If this wasn’t enough, as the gyms closed initially, we were allowed outdoor training. I joined an outdoor bootcamp trial and continued to push myself physically for weeks at a time. Until my body pushed back and I got sick. Thankfully it was only a nasty head cold, but I was clearly run down. Due to my high functioning nature, the mental struggle to slow down and give myself permission to pause was harder than battling the head cold!
Why do I feel guilty if I sit down on the couch and watch tv? It feels like I am being lazy. But clearly it is what I needed. I had to practice what I preach and find a way to reprogram my thinking. Giving myself a break. Permission to pause. Walk instead of run at full speed. Choose the couch instead of cleaning. Now if my mum or sister is reading this, please sit down before you fall down. This is my conditioning, I come from a high functioning family. I never saw my mum sit down and rest.
Now I am not saying I am perfect and rest all the time (that would be lazy, see, still some reprogramming left to do!) but I can say that I value self-care and do have some lovely routines that I have incorporated into my world. As I said, when we are stuck in the limbic system we don’t think straight and now that I am working from my rational brain – I can see a clearer path forward. I can plan out some areas that need focus and I understand the benefits that will come with action. I also have to keep in check that I don’t revert into my high function behaviour and become obsessive with the plan, targets, action, etc and it becomes overwhelming and unrealistic. Stress plays havoc on our body and is certainly not brain friendly for long periods of time. Some of the areas that we can focus on to help manage our performance are diet, sleep and exercise:
Diet – try to eat a balanced diet to fuel your body, drink enough water and reduce stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.
Sleep – getting enough Z’s always helps. The right amount of sleep within each phase to enhance mental and physical recovery, memory, learning, and mood regulation.
Exercise – move your body, avoid the extra pressure of signing up for the latest and greatest exercise craze. Start by moving your body more and build up. Try to pick something that you enjoy doing so it is less of a chore. Something that also helped me - do not stop and think, just do it. Especially when my alarm goes off in the morning, I try my best to get straight up!
I accept that this situation of Covid-19 is crazy and demanded so much more of us than we ever realised and at times, it continues to play with our minds. I also acknowledge that it has taught me some lessons, it has helped me manage my energy better and gave me insight into the high function behaviour that can often sabotage my success. We are all human and do not get it right every time, but we can certainly stay curious, reflect, and learn to build a better future for ourselves.
If you or someone you know needs further support, please reach out to Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or use their online services here