4 Tips To Improve Performance In Your Personal & Professional Life

Silvia Damiano
2 min read

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

Originally posted on: 19 July 2018
Last updated on: 24 March 2024
Silvia Damiano

Silvia Damiano

Founder & CEO
About my Brain Institute

Scientist, educator, author, speaker, coach, award-winning leadership specialist, filmmaker and creator of the i4 Neuroleader Model & Methodology.

Silvia's scientific background and curiosity about the human brain led her to a decade long journey of research into optimal brain functioning and the application of neuroscience in leadership and daily life. Her past and current roles have uniquely prepared her for the current undertaking, that of leadership activist & change agent.

Silvia Damiano founded The About my Brain Institute in 2009, with the purpose of democratising leadership & neuroscience. She has a passionately held belief, that leaders in our 21st century global economy and their organisations must radically change long-held ideas of what constitutes effective leadership

In her ground-breaking books ‘Leadership is Upside Down’, ‘Brain-Friendly Leadership’ and the 2018 documentary ‘Make Me A Leader’, Silvia provides both compelling evidence and explores the importance of leadership in our personal and professional lives and what it takes to develop the human behind the leader.

Silvia has worked in different countries, across many industries, helping teams and organisations improve business performance. Silvia’s clients have described her as a passionate, dynamic, a highly experienced speaker and master facilitator on the topics of Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Change, Neuroleadership & Engagement.

Silvia is passionate about leaving a legacy of well-rounded leaders who can act and decide in a way that better serves humanity. Her clients include Microsoft, Australian Stock Exchange, NSW Government, VISA, Fuji Xerox and Manpower amongst many other global companies.

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