While sustainable high performance requires a platform of health and wellbeing, there are additional layers that also need to be implemented.
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 CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
The previous article described the common element underlying the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. Ultimately each of these pursuits rests on the ability to leverage our biology such that we increase strength in our anchored and grounded states as well as develop a flexible nervous system. In order to perform at the highest level of our potential, as well as increase that level over time in a durable and sustainable fashion, there are additional layers that are necessary.
By strengthening our anchored and grounded states we are able to better ensure that we experience more aspects of our life from these states. This allows us to access the attributes of these states as well as be better positioned for recovery and restoration. The inherent ability of these states to promote health and wellbeing has been discussed extensively in past articles. In addition by enhancing the flexibility of our nervous system, we are better able to manage the inevitable shifts in biological state which we will experience and return back to anchored and grounded states.
The pursuit of health and wellbeing rests predominantly upon this platform of an ability to maintain anchored and grounded states as well as exhibit nervous system flexibility. When we specifically consider high performance on a sustainable and durable basis, there are additional layers which also become important.
If we are only interested in performing at our highest level over a short duration of time, it may be possible to do so without underlying health and wellbeing. For most individuals within high demand domains in the service of others, such as healthcare professionals, military, first responders, and many others, it is important to be able to perform at the highest level over an extended duration of time. It is simply not possible to do this unless there is an underlying platform of health and wellbeing. This is why this is a common element amongst the pursuits of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. Without this stable platform, there is a significantly elevated risk of physical, emotional, and psychological ailments. Unfortunately, this is currently being widely experienced across many professions, including within healthcare.
In order to pursue sustainable high performance, there are additional layers which must also be developed. The rationale for this is based on the understanding that in order to perform at our highest level over an extended duration of time we must expose ourselves to higher degrees of challenge, face obstacles and setbacks, as well as be able to become exposed to and endure the various fear based hindrances along each of the three pathways. The combination of these experiences can easily lead to shifts into anxious, overwhelmed, and shutdown states. Such shifts, particularly if they become prolonged or locked, are detrimental to the pursuit of sustainable high performance.
When we consider cues along the internal and relational pathways, the fear based hindrances become highly relevant. These have been discussed in past articles. It is inevitable that we will be exposed to these cues along the internal and relational pathways in the pursuit of sustainable high performance. Common examples include impostor syndrome and the inner critic along the internal pathway and the fear of judgments and opinions from others along the relational pathway. In addition, along the external pathway, the pursuit of sustainable high performance will inevitably expose us to increased levels of competition amongst others, as well as the evaluation of others, including spectators and others with whom we are not necessarily directly exposed. Due to the ability of each of these fear based hindrances to detrimentally impact our performance, it becomes an essential layer to be able to best manage these cues in order to be able to perform at a high level over an extended duration of time. Developing strategies and tactics to leverage biology within the framework of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete provides the necessary skills to manage these cues.
In addition to the ability to manage these potential detrimental aspects to our performance, it is also necessary to be able to leverage our biology towards optimizing ourselves for performance. As discussed in past articles, we are able to perform at our highest level when we are in the mobilized state which combines the increased energy availability and focus of activated states with the attributes of the anchored and grounded states. This is the optimal foundation for performance within which flow, the ideal performance state, exists. It becomes highly desirable to be able to access the mobilized state, thereby allowing for entry into flow state as often as possible. The details of this have been discussed in past articles.
Another layer which must be incorporated within the pursuit of sustainable high performance relates to post-event recovery and during event restoration. While recovery following high demand events is common to both the pursuit of health and wellbeing and sustainable high performance, there is a greater need for recovery and, in particular, during event restoration within the pursuit of sustainable high performance. When we are engaged in high demand events, we expend a larger degree of resources, both physical and psychological. This requires replenishment following completion of the event so that we are prepared for the next situation. In addition, during performance of tasks and events which are of an extended duration, it is important to restore consumed resources to the greatest extent possible through restoration practices. This allows for continued performance of skills and tasks at the highest possible level until full recovery can be obtained.
As can be seen from the above discussion, a platform of health and wellbeing is needed through the ability to leverage our biology towards increasing the strength of our anchored and grounded states and increasing nervous system flexibility. It is also necessary in the pursuit of sustainable high performance to consider the additional layers of how we manage the inevitable cues we experience, develop the ability to leverage biology towards the mobilized state and ultimately flow state, and enhance recovery and restoration practices. By embodying the mind-based and body-based skills within the Practices of Healthcare Athlete, we are able to increase our capacity to leverage our biology in this regard. The strategies and tactics available to us through this framework provide the actionable processes through which we are able to accomplish this.
The pursuit of sustainable high performance, particularly within high demand domains in the service of others, requires the ability to add these additional layers to our underlying practice. While it is essential that we increase the strength of our anchored and grounded states, as well as increased nervous system flexibility, we will not be able to perform at our highest level in a sustainable and durable fashion if we are not able to incorporate these additional layers. Through embodiment of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, we are able to implement strategies and tactics to optimize and sustain our highest level of performance.
To learn more, including about polyvagal informed coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please 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 CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.