SecretsOfNav.qxd
5/29/03
12:57 PM
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S T R E S S O L O G Y : T H E S T U DY
OF
L I F E S T O R M N AV I G AT I O N
stress is not the problem. Properly utilized, stress is healthy and an asset in seeking high quality performance in any area of life. If we want to walk among the elite, we must be able to “suck it up” and say, “Bring on the stress; I love it. I thrive on it. It helps me become better at what I do.” If stress is not the problem, what is? The problem is insufficient periodic recovery. In other words, we all need a balanced work-rest cycle that runs on 90-minute intervals, because that is how we are wired. Our physiology is designed for a regular 90minute oscillatory cycle of stress-recovery, stress-recovery, stress-recovery throughout the day. Just like an oscillating fan, we are at our best and most effective when we keep moving. Anything that is still for too long becomes stagnant and begins to die. Unrelieved stress is dangerous, but quick oscillatory recovery at regular intervals enables us to process stress in healthy ways that lead to enhanced performance. Physiological studies clearly demonstrate that 90 minutes is the optimal peak performance window; two hours is the ceiling. It does not matter what we are doing, whether we are working or playing, active or inactive. Without recovery, our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical acuities drop dramatically after two hours. We need brief, periodic breaks—even just a simple change of activity or focus—in order to restore our sharpness. This is not “pop” psychology or the latest fad, but the result of years of study in sports and behavioral sciences. Football games, basketball games, and other athletic contests are divided by periodic breaks—time-outs, quarters, halftime, etc.—and with good reason. Running at such high levels without stopping for periodic recovery would deplete energy so quickly that even the best players would drop dead. 29