The pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance requires replenishment of resources over time. Both post event and in task recovery skills are necessary.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CE/CME credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CE/CME credits.
In past articles, the principles of recovery have been described in detail. It is important to recognize that in order to fully recover we must deliberately and intentionally implement skills and habits following events as well as during events. In order to perform at a high level on a sustainable basis, replenishment of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual resources is essential. Over the longer term this is also a central element in the promotion of health and wellbeing.
Without being able to replenish the resources consumed during day to day life and, particularly, during high demand tasks we will over time become depleted leading to a wide array of physical, emotional, and psychological problems. An important strategy to mitigate this reality is the development and implementation of a specific and deliberate recovery practice. While most attention is focused on post event strategies, this perspective comprises two complimentary yet distinct components. These are post event recovery and in task restoration. In many respects this is analogous to the previously described paradigm of strategies and tactics. Post event recovery provides benefit over the longer term, similar to strategies. During event practices help to replenish necessary resources to continue to perform at a high level, which is similar in concept to tactics.
Within all high demand domains, as well as in the longer term pursuit of health and wellbeing, we will face inherent stresses and challenges. In order to be best positioned to leverage our biology in this pursuit, it is necessary that we are able to, on a continuing basis, replenish the resources that we consume within these activities. Many of the specific skills involved with post event recovery as well as in event restoration have been discussed in past articles. The focus of this article will be the unification of these two elements of overall recovery within a single paradigm.
It is important to acknowledge that for both post event recovery and in event restoration the overall objective is to increase ventral vagal activation in order to promote a return to homeostasis and allow for restoration. The application of these specific skills and habits will only provide the necessary benefit if we are able to obtain an increased degree of ventral vagal activation. With this in mind, the mind-based and body-based skills of the polyvagal informed toolbox can be applied in any given circumstance.
From the perspective of post event recovery, it is helpful to establish a regular routine combining the foundational practices. This includes sufficient sleep, hydration, nutrition, mindset training, and physical activity. It should be noted, however, that each of these elements will only provide the maximum benefit towards recovery if they are associated with improved ventral vagal activation. For example, the use of physical activity in the context of recovery is distinct from physical activity for physical training purposes. From a recovery perspective, physical activity may include a light walk or other movement based activities which do not increase physiological demand. The elements of a post event recovery program can be adjusted over time to reflect what is most beneficial in any moment as well as the overall need for recovery. For example, following a prolonged period of high demand activity it may be necessary to invest substantial additional time in the recovery practices.
From the context of within event restoration, it is important to be able to take moments of time in order to increase ventral vagal activation thereby allowing for a degree of replenishment of resources. Given the restrictions inherent within an ongoing event, it is not possible to implement the full recovery practice. The in event restoration practices are designed to provide an element of recovery to allow ongoing high-performance until the full recovery routine can be implemented. This may take the form of brief moments of breathing practices, in particular prolonged exhalation patterns to promote ventral vagal activation. This may also include application of the social engagement system, relaxation of muscle tone, changes in posture, use of voice or sound, and light physical activity. Each of these elements can provide increased ventral vagal activation thereby contributing to recovery during an event.
The overall adjustment and application of these practices can be significantly benefited through the use of wearable technology. There are many devices which are able to measure physiological parameters of stress and recovery on a continuous basis to provide an indication of the extent of high demand activity and degree of recovery. Dependent upon the device used, there can be information regarding recovery following events, over the course of the day, and following sleep. Each of these data points become important pieces of information not only in the understanding of the general patterns of our activities but the extent and outcome of our recovery practices. With this information we can then, in a more detailed and informed fashion, adjust and adapt our activities and recovery practices to suit our physiological needs, as demonstrated through our metrics. For instance, during periods of time in which there are increased levels of demand through the day, investing increased time for in event restoration practices can be beneficial to overall recovery.
Within high demand domains, there is an inherent necessity for consumption of resources in order to perform the necessary tasks. In order to pursue sustainable high-performance, it is therefore essential to be able to replenish these resources. In addition, the pursuit of health and wellbeing requires restoration and recovery to homeostasis in order to provide sufficient resources for future activities as well as healing from physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual stressors. The polyvagal informed skills, which are foundational within the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, allow for establishment of recovery practices, both following events and during activities. To learn more about polyvagal informed coaching for healthcare professionals, and others in high demand domains, visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CE/CME credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CE/CME credits..
REFERENCES
Allison, M. The Play Zone: A Neurophysiological Approach to our Highest Performance. https://theplayzone.com.
Porges SW, Porges S. Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us. New York: W.W. Norton & Company; 2023.