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Gaynor Parkin Managing Director Staying sane and performing well under pressure– excel and thrive
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Overview for today Impact of pressure on performance – role of our physiology and neurochemistry What factors improve resilience? Improving recovery and performance
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Performance under pressure What happens when pressure high?
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Flight or fight
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When is flight or fight useful?? When do you want high adrenalin?
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When is flight or fight not useful?
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Flight or fight Useful for motivation and peak performance
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Role of stress hormones Adrenalin Cortisol
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Impact of stress on brain function
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Amygdala hijack What happens?
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Role of amygdala Centre of brain Registers strong emotions Activates flight or fight Hard to over-ride by thinking
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Impact of stress on brain function Amygdala hijack Prefrontal cortex function impaired Therefore executive function not optimal
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Impact of stress on brain function When do you want amygdala “on” ? When don’t you? What about in teams?
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What does this knowledge mean for improving performance?
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1. Notice when flight/fight kicks in 2. Is it useful? 3. If not – wind adrenalin response down 4. Recovery and resilience
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Balancing Stress and Recovery
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Recovery and resilience: “Bouncing back” Ability to adapt well under pressure Capacity to thrive despite pressures
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Scientific research Child development Trauma – post traumatic growth Neuroscience Positive Psychology
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Scientific research Child development Trauma – post traumatic growth Neuroscience Positive Psychology
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What factors promote resilience? Physical fitness and recovery – role of stress hormones Meditation/Mindfulness Emotion regulation skills Experiencing positive emotions
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What factors promote resilience? Cognitive flexibility Realistic optimism Problem solving skills Connectedness
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Building blocks of recovery Physical Mental Emotional
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Physical recovery Sleep well Eat well Less caffeine/alcohol Exercise
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Mental recovery Oscillation Breaks Focus on one thing….!!
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Emotional recovery Holidays, long weekends, days off… Activities that replenish us Positive emotions
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Positive emotions boost recovery “Undo” negative emotions (recovery) Fuel physical recovery from stress Improve optimism Improve executive function
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Positive emotions boost recovery Serotonin levels rise – cool, calm, upbeat Cortisol levels drop
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Positive emotions improve team performance How? What increases the experience of positive emotions in teams?
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Recovery ideas What gets in the way of recovery? What helps to make it happen? How do we make recovery a priority?
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Balancing Stress and Recovery
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Making recovery a habit Set up no-fail habits and routines Recruit support Make it a team priority
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Making recovery a habit Plan ahead Marathon or sprint? Make it a team priority
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Has the strategy worked? Less physical tension? Improved cognitive focus? Reduced intensity of emotion? What action may be required?
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Thank-you Other questions?
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