Top 4 ways to perform like a world-class athlete in business

Every human gets the same 24 hours in a day, but do you feel like there is never enough time to get through your to-do list, let alone have time to look after your health and energy? Unfortunately, this is a common complaint in today’s busy world of competing deadlines, hectic schedules, and financial concerns.  If you are striving for your personal best but feel frustrated by your never-ending tasks, you may be asking if there is a better way to access your best performance of intuition and focus.

ThinkTank has been lucky enough to tap into the knowledge of Performance Specialist and Sports Dietitian, Julie Meek, to help us make better choices for enhanced performance. Julie draws upon her years of experience from working with professional athletes to bring us practical ways to maximise time and energy within our daily routines.

Julie understands that many of us are in roles where we are constantly looking after others above ourselves and in order to serve better, we need to allocate time to look after Number One. She suggests viewing your day like a game plan consisting of four quarters and scheduling time in each quarter to re-fuel, rest and recover in order to play your best game.

Here are Julie’s top 4 ways to perform like a world-class athlete in the business world:

  1. REGULAR REST – Quality sleep is a top priority for peak performance, so a great starting point is to establish a routine around going to bed and waking at similar times during the week. Six to eight hours’ sleep time is optimal for most adults and increasingly going to bed 10 minutes earlier over the course of a few months can have a huge impact. Julie suggests minimizing screens 30mins before bedtime and stop eating around 8:00pm/8:30pm to maintain blood sugar levels.
  2. CYCLES OF EFFORT – Working in shorter, more intense blocks of time with scheduled breaks can be an effective way to stay focused on one task. Julie proposes scheduling 90-minute work blocks backed up by 10 minutes of rest time where you go for a stretch or have a coffee/tea/snack break. She recommends a maximum dose of 330mg caffeine per day.
  3. MANAGE 3PM SLUMP – What can we do when the inevitable 3pm slump arrives where we crave a pick-me-up? Reaching for a sugar hit will cause a spike in energy but inevitably leave us craving more and feeling worse. Julie encourages us to be prepared and turn to a more sustainable energy source such as a slice of toast and peanut butter, a handful of almonds, a cup of blueberries, a banana, a small pot of yoghurt or a boiled egg.
  4. HEALTHY CHOICES – When social occasions arise or eating a home-cooked meal is not possible we can make healthier choices when eating out or getting a takeaway. Julie encourages us to not be afraid of indulging and allow ourselves time for socialising, relaxation and enjoyment. Here are Julie’s tips on healthy takeaway and eating out:
    • Don’t go to the restaurant hungry
    • Plan your alcohol intake
    • Go easy on the bread
    • Choose an entrée over a main meal
    • Ask for dressing on the side
    • Share dessert
    • Eat slowly.

Trying to change too many habits at once may lead to overwhelm, so Julie recommends picking one of the above behaviours to focus on before tackling the next.  If you would like to hear more tips and information about health, nutrition, performance and all things in between, head over to Julie’s Blog or contact her via her website.

ThinkTank specialise in delivering inspiration and ideas to help you reach the top of your career and stay there. Check out our Corporate Health & Wellbeing Summit Calendar.

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