Day Eighteen - Recovery
Gold medals are won not by training more but by recovering better.
It’s not new news that should be targeting 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night, but even this may not be enough for optimal performance. Day-time recovery is another essential way to ensure we are the best versions of ourselves every day.
Regular recovery is necessary to overcome the effects of daily stress, and our bodies recover best when there is parasympathetic dominance (rest and digest) in the ANS and psychophysiological resources are restored.
Luckily our bodies operate a natural 90-minute cycle both when we are asleep and awake and is called the ultradian rhythm that moves us from higher to lower alertness. This natural cycle could help us plan short recovery moments during the day.
Diarize regular breaks. Seek recovery every 90 -120 minutes during the workday i.e. prework, morning tea, lunch, afternoon, end of the day, or between meetings.
Break type. There are many ways to restore energy and achieve parasympathetic dominance, even if it’s for 10 minutes or less:
Physical exercise – walk solo, walk with a friend or take the stairs.
Go outside – leave the building and soak up some sun or nature
Reading - read something non-work-related
Micro yoga – connect your mind-body with diaphragmatic breathing.
Breathing exercise – lower your respiration rate with coherent breathing.
Eat nutritious food away from your desk (ideally without your electronic device)
Laugh and release the flight or fight response.
Sing and stimulate your vagus nerve.
Tune in - listen to your favourite tune
Socially connect – speak with a friend
Not all stress is bad and in fact a certain amount of stress each day can help us achieve our goals. The key is to find the optimal balance between stress and recovery. Which three ideas could you try today to help you get the balance right?
Further reading
Read: The Making of a Corporate Athlete. Loehr and Schwartz. 2001
Read: Firstbeat blog stress-and-recovery
Watch: All it takes is ten minutes TED Andy Puddicombe
** Disclaimer – Part of the Build Your Ideal Day Program – 30 Day challenge by Duncan Young. All content and media on the Build Your Ideal Day Website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.
