4 Tips To Improve Performance In Your Personal & Professional Life

The very notion of performance can have multiple meanings. Performing in the corporate sense is certainly important, but flourishing mentally and physically allows for optimal leadership while also increasing general wellbeing. The daily grind is called a grind for a reason, and even the hardest-working leaders will eventually be worn away - unless they make changes to ensure a high-performance body and mind.

The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective - people who know to see a problem as an opportunity.

Deepak Chopra

High Levels Of Performance Positively Impact Individuals And Business Culture

Individuals will:

• Take care of the body, mind, and spirit
• Be confident but not arrogant
• Remain calm even in stressful situations

Business culture also improves, allowing for:

• Higher levels of productivity
• Resourceful team members
• Harmonious environments

Four Tips To Improve Performance And Wellbeing That Will Produce Real Results

1. Get feedback
   Feedback is essential, especially for leaders. Many leaders think they are doing a great job, but their colleagues and peers may disagree. Incorporating neuroscience into a leadership strategy translates into maximum growth, and can head off destructive leadership. If a person understands their strengths (prefrontal cortex functions that do well) and weaknesses (limbic behaviors that lead to fight, flight, or freeze) they can make more authentic and impactful decisions.
   
   
2. Stop focusing on everyone else all the time and RELAX
   Most leaders have obligations that extend far beyond the office or conference room, including caring for family members and even the mundane grocery shopping trips. Relaxation is essential for good health and research backs this up. A recent study examined senior women in hospice care, and patients who engaged in a yoga program experienced decreased levels of depression and anxiety and increased self-esteem¹.
   
   
3. Stop the phone addiction and get some sleep
   Bad habits start at a young age. One study pooled data from 207 surveys given to families with children between 8 and 17 years old. 35 children (17%) were classified as “Obese,” and 55 children (27%) were considered “Severely Obese.” Using any kind of device before bed was associated with higher BMIs².
   
   
4. Use available technology and try a neurofeedback device
   The state of the brain has a massive impact on mood, emotional intelligence, and leadership ability. It is now possible to monitor brain activity, without an elaborate lab setup, in real-time. The implications are remarkable, and such feedback devices can potentially be used not only to see and hear a person’s own biological responses but to treat traumatic brain injuries³.
   

Performance is not a static, set-in-stone quality. It can be increased, and feedback, relaxation time, proper sleep, and technology can all contribute to a happier, more successful home and work environment. Instead of always seeing the negative, try to imagine successfully tackling a challenge and increasing your performance.

Citation:
1. Ramanathan, M., Bhavanani, A. B., & Trakroo, M. (2017). Effect of a 12-week yoga therapy program on mental health status in elderly women inmates of a hospice. International Journal of Yoga, 10(1), 24–28. http://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6131.186156

2. Fuller, C., Lehman, E., Hicks, S., Novick, M. B. (2017). Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children. Global Pediatric Health, 4, 2333794X17736972. http://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X17736972

3. Gray, S. N. (2017). An Overview of the Use of Neurofeedback Biofeedback for the Treatment of Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury in Military and Civilian Populations.Medical Acupuncture, 29(4), 215–219. http://doi.org/10.1089/acu.2017.1220