Self-Management & Performance: what the sports world can teach the workplace!

Have you ever wondered why, despite working overtime and putting in constant effort, you still can’t quite reach peak performance?

Managing your professional life is a bit like managing a career as a high-level athlete: learning to control both body and mind is crucial! Peak performance depends on countless factors that go well beyond practice or direct effort.

Just as an athlete must pay close attention to rest, nutrition and stress management, in the workplace, similar (yet all too often overlooked) focus is essential on these elements that indirectly affect our ability to work effectively. Ignoring them can jeopardize not only the quality and quantity of our work but also our health.

REST IS A NECESSITY, NOT A LUXURY!

An athlete who neglects sleep or fails to include adequate recovery periods risks overload, chronic fatigue, and injuries (Doherty et al., 2021; Cunha et al., 2023).

For instance, NBA superstar LeBron James has said that sleeping up to 11 hours a night helps him fully recover and perform at his best (Connley, 2018). The professional world mirrors this reality: a lack of rest and an “always on” culture can lead to burnout.

Indeed, chronic sleep deprivation raises cortisol levels and diminishes our capacity to handle stress (Nollet et al., 2020). Studies have also shown that sleep deficits disrupt the acquisition of new skills (Newbury et al., 2021) and reduce our ability to concentrate and react quickly (Amanda et al., 2020).

Sleep is thus a vital factor. For instance, Warren Buffett - an investing legend - sleeps 8 hours (or more) a night and says it’s crucial for staying sharp and productive during the day (Adamczyk, 2023).

NUTRITION: FUEL FOR OUR EFFECTIVENESS

Proper nutrition for high-level athletes provides maximum energy for training and competition, speeds up muscle recovery and supports growth and repair (Richards, 2021).

The same principles apply in the professional world. For example, a balanced diet rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality proteins, and low-glycemic carbs helps stabilize blood glucose, reduces inflammation and supports optimal brain function (Grimani, 2019).

Additionally, integrating specific foods - leafy green vegetables high in iron, antioxidant-rich berries, and proper hydration - can boost cognitive focus (Drewnowski, 2020; Ekstrand et al., 2021).

On the other hand, unhealthy diets high in sugar or fat reduce our attention span (Ginieis, 2018; Caldwell, 2020).

STRESS: THE INVISIBLE FOE OF PERFORMANCE

In sports, one study found that stress impedes concentration, decision-making, physical coordination, energy levels and motivation, thus decreasing physical performance (Rano, 2019).

In the workplace, stress negatively affects cognitive abilities, rest and eating habits, cutting into both productivity and work quality (Abramson, 2022).

Chronic stress also lowers employee engagement and motivation while raising absenteeism (Chen et al., 2022). Let that sink in!

FINDING SOLUTIONS… AND TAKING ACTION!

Despite general acknowledgment of the huge impact sleep, diet and stress management have on professional performance, the workplace ecosystem (in Switzerland and elsewhere) still has a long way to go.

Responsibility is shared between employees and employers, with each playing a part in promoting well-being at work.

For employees, it helps to recognize that professional competence is akin to being an athlete. As Kastor (2018) put it, “Being an athlete is a way of life - what we do outside of training counts as much as the effort within it”.

That highlights how investing in our overall well-being pays off in performance. Like athletes who often self-educate outside formal coaching, each employee must be proactive in managing rest, diet and stress.

Today, free online resources abound, giving everyone the tools to learn and experiment. It’s a highly individualized process: what helps one person might not help another.

The key is perseverance - learning from what doesn’t work, trying different strategies and adapting to personal reactions and needs, charting a unique path toward the desired performance.

Meanwhile, organizations must take responsibility by consistently emphasizing these health-related factors. The specifics vary depending on the organization’s context.

SOME “BASICS” TO INTRODUCE… BY ACT-ON SWITZERLAND!

• Adopt flexible work schedules so each employee can balance work and rest in line with their own rhythm, facilitating better sleep management.

• Provide a dedicated rest/meditation area, enabling employees to recharge with brief, 20-minute naps - known to enhance cognitive performance (Dutheil et al., 2021).

• Encourage employee autonomy in their quest for well-being by raising awareness and providing training on the importance of rest, balanced nutrition and stress management, as well as offering support for any challenges they face.

• Offer healthy, budget-friendly food options in the workplace to promote and facilitate proper nutrition.

Furthermore, to cultivate a healthy organization over the long term, well-being must become embedded in the company’s core values, which takes time. It calls for setting an example at the leadership level, daily promotion and recognition of well-being practices and open dialogue around physical and mental health.

Got the urge? Got a project? Our teams are here to help - whether in France, Switzerland, Belgium or Germany… Contact us.

Notes de bas de page :

^{Abramson, A. (2022). The burnout and stress spectrum. APA Monitor on Psychology, 53(1). Récupéré de https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/01/special-burnout-stress}

^{Adamczyk, A. (2023, Août 30). 93-year-old Warren Buffett, the most famous investor alive, has a remarkably healthy work-life balance. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2023/08/30/warren-buffett-work-life-balance-susprisingly-healty/}

^{Caldwell, A. E. (2020). Our ability to focus may falter after eating one meal high in saturated fat. The Ohio State University News. Récupéré de https://news.osu.edu/our-ability-to-focus-may-falter-after-eating-one-meal-high-in-saturated-fat/}

^{Chen, B., Wang, L., Li, B., & Liu, W. (2022). Work stress, mental health, and employee performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1006580}

^{Connley, C. (2018, Décembre 8). LeBron James reveals the nighttime routine that helps him perform ‘at the highest level’. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/21/lebron-james-reveals-the-nighttime-routine-that-sets-him-up-for-success.html}

^{Cunha, L. A., Costa, J., Marques, E. A., Brito, J., Lastella, M., & Figueiredo, P. (2023). The impact of sleep interventions on athletic performance: A systematic review. Sports Medicine - Open, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00599-z}

^{Doherty, R., Madigan, S. M., Nevill, A. M., Warrington, G. D., & Ellis, J. (2021). The sleep and recovery practices of athletes. Nutrients, 13(4), 1330. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041330}

^{Drewnowski, A. (2019). Impact of nutrition interventions and dietary nutrient density on productivity in the workplace. Nutrition Reviews, 78(3), 215-224. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuz088}

^{Dutheil, F., Danini, B., Bagheri, R., Fantini, M. L., Pereira, B., Moustafa, F., Trousselard, M., & Navel, V. (2021). Effects of a short daytime nap on the cognitive performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10212. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910212}

^{Ekstrand, B., Scheers, N., Rasmussen, M. K., Young, J. F., Ross, A. B., & Landberg, R. (2020). Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and health. Nutrition Reviews, 79(6), 693-708. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaa091}

^{Ginieis, R., Franz, E. A., Oey, I., & Peng, M. (2018). The “sweet” effect: Comparative assessments of dietary sugars on cognitive performance. Physiology & Behavior, 184, 242-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.12.010}

^{Grimani, A., Aboagye, E., & Kwak, L. (2019). The effectiveness of workplace nutrition and physical activity interventions in improving productivity, work performance and workability: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8033-1}

^{Hudson, A. N., Van Dongen, H. P. A., & Honn, K. A. (2019). Sleep deprivation, vigilant attention, and brain function: A review. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(1), 21-30. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0432-6}

^{Kastor, D., & Hamilton, M. (2018). Let your mind run : A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory. Crown.}

^{Newbury, C. R., Crowley, R., Rastle, K., & Tamminen, J. (2021). Sleep deprivation and memory: Meta- analytic reviews of studies on sleep deprivation before and after learning. Psychological Bulletin, 147(11), 1215-1240. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000348}

^{Nollet, M., Wisden, W., & Franks, N. P. (2020). Sleep deprivation and stress: A reciprocal relationship. Interface Focus, 10(3), 20190092. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2019.0092}

^{Rano, J., Fridén, C., & Eek, F. (2019). Effects of acute psychological stress on athletic performance in elite male swimmers. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 59(6). https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.18.08493-1}

^{Richards, E. (2021). Nutrition for athletes. Medical News Today. Récupéré de https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nutrition-for-athletes}