Total concentration, calm, wonder, deep sleep: every day we pass through different states of consciousness. Here I explain why they matter as much as the body in recovery and performance.
By Jon Iturralde
The body follows the mind
Chronic stress keeps the body on alert: sleep deteriorates, pain feels stronger, recovery slows. Conversely, a calm mind leaves the body room to repair. In the clinic we see it every day: two patients with the same injury do not recover in the same way.
States that can be cultivated
- Flow : the state of total attention that athletes know, in which action becomes fluid.
- Attentive calm : through meditation, slow breathing, or simply a few minutes of silence.
- Wonder : before a landscape, in the mountains, at sea, which puts priorities back in their place.
- Deep sleep : the state in which the body recovers most.
Performance and longevity
The elite athletes and executives we work with often have one thing in common: they know how to move from one state to another. To concentrate intensely, then truly switch off. Lasting also means knowing when to stop, to step back and to enjoy life.
In our programmes
In our follow-up, we build these dimensions into the recovery plan: sleep, breathing, managing mental load, time in nature. When psychological support is useful, we refer to qualified professionals.
This article is for information only. It does not replace a medical consultation.
References
- Csikszentmihalyi M. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper & Row; 1990.
- Mah C.D. et al. The effects of sleep extension on the athletic performance of collegiate basketball players. Sleep. 2011;34(7):943-950.
- Hilton L. et al. Mindfulness meditation for chronic pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2017;51(2):199-213.
- Stellar J.E. et al. Positive affect and markers of inflammation: discrete positive emotions predict lower levels of inflammatory cytokines. Emotion. 2015;15(2):129-133.