Outperform Zone

Navigate Stress I Outperform Under Pressure

martin soorjoo

Make Stress your Friend Not Foe and Burn Bright Not Out

The Fast Lane to Stress

High Pressure, high consequence work environments require the ability to switch gears and ramp up at short notice in order to respond to unexpected crisis and challenges. 

Whether you’re a trader and a tweet has sent markets into free-fall, a senior executive and a scandal about your company has just broken, a lawyer whose star witness has done a 180 degree turn in their evidence or entrepreneur who has 12 hours’ notice for a one-shot VC pitch for $10 million; whatever your role, this experience of intense stress and pressure will be familiar.

Adrenalin and cortisol surge through your veins as you switch into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Your trusty autonomic nervous system enables you to adapt and respond to these new and unexpected challenges by preparing you for action. You are now officially stressed.

The Upside of Stress 

The form of acute short-term stress outlined above is not inherently bad and has several potential benefits including enhanced immunity, increased focus, alertness and resilience. When managed correctly, stress can be a powerful weapon and competitive advantage. Stress has protected us for as long as we have walked the earth, enabling us to become predator rather than prey. These upsides are often forgotten or overlooked. 

Stress can become destructive, however, when dust settles, and the crisis has passed. At that point, if you’d don’t rapidly switch gears, de-stress and decelerate, over time you’ll progress from acute to chronic stress and find yourself on the fast road to a town called Burnout. 

This was a mistake I repeatedly made as a busy lawyer in the nineties. The nature of my practice meant that many of my cases were fast moving with high stakes, but short. I would often have to burn the midnight oil for an important hearing the following morning and even if it was over by lunchtime, I would spend the rest of the day unnecessarily operating in fight mode. To make things worse I would then spend the evening in a local bar talking about (and consequently reliving) the details of the case over too many glasses of wine.

When Traditional Stress Solutions Fail

Stress coaching and literature typically focus on managing the stress response. The point that is rightly and repeatedly made, is that it is not the event but the perception of the event that results in the experience of stress. Managing, mindset, self-talk and breathing are powerful tools that can be utilised when responding to a crisis. 

The on the ground reality for many highfliers, however, is that when the trigger event occurs, the last thing they can think about is managing their mindset etc because they are focused on managing the situation rather than their emotions. This is why understanding the role of post-crisis recovery is critical.

Stress + Recovery = Growth

To mitigate the deleterious effects of stress, as soon as you have managed the crisis, take yourself into a recovery mode. Instead of turning to alcohol to unwind, spend a few minutes engaging in a practice that takes you out of fight, flight or freeze mode and helps you recharge and rebuild for the next curveball. Because you can be sure there will be more crises coming your way. 

Management of the negative effects of stress is no longer dependant on weekly therapy sessions. Most people are already overloaded and talked out and simply don’t have the capacity to spend an hour each week analysing their responses to stress. Besides, it’s far from ideal to wait a week feeling stressed until you see the therapist.

The Intersection of Technology and Zen

Neuroscience, technology, and ancient practices validated by science, now provide us with an array of easy to implement, effective, fast acting recovery solutions that you can easily implement without the intervention of a third party. These include:

  • 10 minutes of breathwork. Whichever technique you utilize the guiding principle is short inhale / longer exhale e.g., 4:6.
  • The use of brain entrainment techniques such as Isochronic tones or Binaural beats that activate Alpha brainwaves. Just pop in your ear buds and press play.
  • A heart coherence breathing practice.
  • A virtual reality session.
  • 15 minutes of Non-Sleep Deep Rest / Yoga Nidra.
  • Wearable technology that restores balance to the nervous system, calming both body and mind. There are several effective devices that use vibration to stimulate the vagus nerve calming and conditioning the nervous system.
  • A walk outside, ideally near a green space such as a park.

Burn Bright Not Out

A modest investment of 10-15 minutes engaged in post-crisis recovery will help ensure you avoid the devastating effects of long-term chronic stress and enable you to continue to burn bright, not out.

Improve Your Performance and Presence in Seconds

The Wake-Up Call

In our always on dimension of digital distraction, working at speed is often perceived as a badge of honor. Proceeding at all times with a sense of urgency has become coded into our operating systems. The driven Do More, Faster. We instantly respond to demands (usually delivered by email) that are not actually urgent, and often not important.

A couple of decades ago this mindset was something I aspired to and lived by, as a high-flying attorney. Until one morning in 2004 when my doctor called to inform me that blood tests indicated I had a month to live.

The Consequences

Most people don’t have such an extreme wake up call. But the consequences of operating at breakneck speed, whilst rarely pausing to take a breath, are many and significant. They include:

  • Poor quality work
  • Stress, exhaustion and burnout
  • Missed ideas and opportunities
  • Shallow meaningless engagement with colleagues
  • Compromised creativity
  • Ineffectiveness

The irony is that the intention behind moving fast is often enhanced productivity, but the research unequivocally demonstrates that our effectiveness and the quality of our work suffers – as do we.

Power Pause

If we choose to pause, take a breath, stand back from our tasks, ignore our devices and allow or minds to wander freely, we give our brain the recharge and reset it so desperately needs.

Good leaders know the value of a power pause and utilize it on daily basis. By way of example, Jack Welch, legendary GE CEO, was known for spending an hour of his working day engaged in what he called “looking out of the window time”. The Navy SEALs typically operate in situations where the stakes are highest yet live by the maxim ‘Slow is smooth, smooth is fast’.

Studies and experience show that pausing, even for a minute (but 5 is better) has many benefits including:

  • The avoidance of cognitive fatigue
  • Better problem-solving capabilities. Standing back, reflecting, and altering perspective works wonders.
  • Improved focus and attention.
  • Enhanced creativity.
  • Greater work satisfaction.

In short, better work and better you.

A further significant benefit from deliberate pausing is enhanced presence. Good leaders have good presence;
otherwise referred to as executive or leadership presence. Pausing facilitates calmness, a sense of being present and the ability to engage and connect with the audience.

So whether you schedule your pauses or take them when the moment feels right, raise your game and enhance your well-being by embracing the power of the pause.

The Myth Of 8 Hours Sleep And How To Thrive On Less Than 7 – According To Science

how much sleep do we need

The Myth 

Wherever you turn sleep experts repeat the mantra that unless you are that rare person (less than 1% of the population), then you need 8 hours sleep to be able to function properly. 

If you don’t get 8 hours sleep then you are destined to drag yourself through your day and are on course for a multitude of illnesses. 

If you believe the myth, then you’re set up to fail from the moment you wake up.

The Reality

Optimizing sleep is something I have been obsessed with for the past 15 years. In 2004 when I was the peak of my career as a high flying attorney, life threw a curveball at me in the form of a call from my doctor who informed me that on the basis of some blood tests he had run, it was clear I had a month to live. I had developed two life threatening autoimmune conditions on the basis of being unwittingly exposed to 3 toxic chemicals

I saw several specialists afterwards who all confirmed the original diagnosis but said I could stay alive if I lived on a cocktail of drugs that had at least 25 possible side effects including Osteoporosis and Diabetes.  One of the things I was repeatedly told is that I would need at least 10 hours sleep every day in order to function.

In those days, I was probably typical of many lawyers, burning the candle at both ends, drinking strong coffee into the early hours while preparing for a trial, eating badly and not getting enough exercise. I was tired all the time.

I knew that had to change but there was no way I could spend ten hours in bed every day. I still had big plans and a life to get on with.  That was the moment my obsession with optimizing performance and sleep began.  

Through continuous experimentation over the past 15 years, and a lot of money spent, I have managed to hack and optimize my sleep so that I can perform optimally on 6.5 hours sleep.  Had I not developed the 2 autoimmune conditions, I would almost certainly need less sleep.

My own experiences and that of some of my clients initially caused me to question the 8 hour myth but it is only in recent years that I have come across the scientific evidence that supports and explains these experiences.  

Before diving into the science, it’s worth bearing the following in mind:

  • One size doesn’t fit all.Different people have differing sleep needs influenced by a number of variables including, genetics, age, health status, lifestyle including but not limited to diet and exercise and sleep quality. 
  • Perception and belief can impact how you feel. If you believe you need 8 hours in order to function optimally and you didn’t get 8 hours, then you’ll probably feel and perform suboptimally. 

The power of belief has long been recognized in the sphere of health and medicine through the placebo effect.  

In the field of stress, studies have demonstrated that if you believe the stress you are experiencing is harmful to your health then it probably will be, but if you don’t hold that believe then you are more likely to stay well. 

For a deep dive into this topic read Kelly McGonigal’s excellent ‘The Upside of Stress’.

Similarly, in the field of Heart Rate Variability (HRV), research has demonstrated that negative perception can lower your HRV.  Your HRV score is an extremely reliable indicator of cardiovascular and autonomic health as well as fitness. Generally speaking low HRV is bad and high HRV is good.

The Science

One of the largest sleep studies ever conducted concluded

“The folk belief that we should sleep 8 hours seems to be incorrect. Numerous studies have shown that self-reported sleep longer than 7.5 hours or shorter than 6.5 hours predicts increased mortality risk. 

People who sleep five or six hours may be reassured.”

Leading sleep expert Daniel Kripke, co-director of research at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center has concluded that 

“Sleeping 8.5 hr. might really be a little worse than sleeping 5 hrs.”

From a different standpoint, Dr. Satchin Panda PhD, one of the world’s leading experts in circadian rhythm, a professor at the Salk Institute in San Diego and author of the groundbreaking ‘The Circadian Code’ has stated that 6.5 hours sleep is consistent with longevityand that people do not need 8 hours sleep.

Even The National Sleep Foundation acknowledged in 2015 that 6 hours sleep ‘may be appropriate’for adults.

So if Quantity Isn’t the Be All and End all What Else Matters?

Quantity matters. Some people may always need 8 hours sleep e.g. someone with a serious illness or a hard charging athlete. Some people may need 8 hours after a heavy day. Sleep is essential and wonderful. But so is being awake. Why sleep more than you need to when you have a life to live?

The point of this post is not to condemn those who advocate the importance of sleep but to shift the focus from a belief that sleep is purely a numbers game where the target is 8, to an understanding that 8 hours may be unnecessary and counterproductive and that quantity is not the only Q in the equation that’s critical to optimal performance and health.

Quality is Critical

Sleep quality is on the decrease and this inevitably means many people awake unrestored and go through their days feeling tired all of the time. This is largely a condition of the modern day Western lifestyle. 

If you don’t attain sufficient deep sleep (slow wave) and REM sleep, no matter how long you sleep for, you will still feel exhausted. If I’ve had 6 hours sleep and that included at least 1 hours deep sleep and 1.5-2 hours REM sleep, then I am in way better shape for my day than if I had 8 hours poor quality sleep. 

Achieving Optimal Sleep 

When you develop an awareness of your individual sleep needs, circadian rhythm and the factors that detract from the quality of your sleep as well as those that enhance sleep quality, then you’ll be able to sleep less butfeel better.

Advances in sleep science, technology and a select few truly game changing wearables, enable us to understand our specific sleep need, how much REM and deep sleep we achieved, our sleep latency, the number of disruptions as well as the impact of

  • The time you go to bed
  • Environment
  • Food types and timing of meals
  • Alcohol
  • Caffeine
  • Exercise
  • Light
  • Bed and bedroom companions

The insights provided by research and a few key wearables enable us to know how to sleep better, to modify our behaviors and create the conditions for optimal sleep.

Over and above nutrition and exercise, Optimal sleep is the most powerful weapon you have at your disposal to dramatically improve your physical, mental and emotional health as well as increase your performance and productivity.  Given that you’re going to do it anyway, you may as well do it properly and reap the benefits. 

Achievement, Adversity and the Stockdale Paradox

The Allure of Positive Thinking

Conventional wisdom in the space of personal development and achievement, has long contended that a positive mindset is a precondition for success.

From Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’ to the many works of psychologist, Martin Seligman, the ‘founder of positive psychology’ and the recent and compelling ‘The Happiness Advantage’ by former Harvard Professor, Shawn Achor, the case for maintaining a positive mindset when facing a challenge is well evidenced and argued. Additionally, for many, being positive in the face of adversity and challenge makes intuitive sense.

The Problem with Positive Thinking

More recently, however, a number of experts including Gabriele Oettingen, Professor of Psychology at New York University and author of ‘Rethinking Positive Thinking’ and Todd B. Kashdan and Robert Biswas-Diener, authors of ‘The Upside of Your Dark Side’, have cautioned against the dangers of positive thinking.

Oettingen argues that a focus on positive thinking can result in the feeling of being successful getting in the way of the reality of achieving success. Kashdan and Biswas-Diner contend that so-called negative emotions such as anger and guilt can be powerful motivators and as such useful tools for achievement.

The Stockdale Paradox

 While there are many proven techniques and strategies for utilizing the power of both ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ thinking, the Stockdale Paradox provides an accessible and practical philosophy for dealing with challenge and adversity.

Admiral Jim Stockdale, was a United States military officer held captive for eight years during the Vietnam War. Stockdale was tortured throughout his imprisonment but never lost faith that he would one day be released.

Admiral Stockdale stated

“I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.”

He noted, however, that it was always the most optimistic of his fellow detainees who died before being released. In the words of Admiral Stockdale

“They were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they’d say, ‘We’re going to be out by Easter.’ And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.”

Many of those who did not make it, often failed to confront the harsh reality of their situation, continually deluding themselves that they were about to be released. Ultimately the constant disappointments were too much for them to handle.

Admiral Stockdale accepted the harsh reality of his situation but rather than exist in a state of denial, he worked to lift the morale and prolong the lives of his fellow detainees. He created a tapping code so they could communicate and a milestone system that helped them deal with torture. He also sent coded messages hidden in his letters to his wife.

Putting the Paradox into Practice

 When dealing with difficult situations, whether they be the challenges that come with attempting to achieve an important goal or dealing with adversity, the Stockdale Paradox is an approach that can provide the necessary fortitude.

Governor Eric Greitens, former Navy Seal and author of the insightful and inspirational ‘Resilience – Hard Won Wisdom for Living a Better life’ sums up the application of the Stockdale Paradox

“In the face of hardship, you have to maintain a clear focus on your harsh reality. It does you no good to sugarcoat the facts. It does you no good to fantasize about what might be. You have to maintain clarity about your reality. The paradox, however, is that at the same time you have to find a way to maintain hope.’

 In the words of Admiral Stockdale

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

90 Minutes to Mastery and Optimum Performance

 The Myth of Marathons

When the pressure is on, tight deadlines to meet, a report to draft or stack of paperwork to get through, people have a tendency to work flat out for several hours without stopping for a break. This was a mistake I was repeatedly guilty of a couple of decades ago when I was a busy attorney.

Sprint for Success

For over one hundred years researchers have known optimum performance and productivity is achieved when people work in cycles of 90 minutes. Nathaniel Kleitman, Professor Emeritus in Physiology at the University of Chicago and regarded as the father of modern sleep research, discovered the basic rest-activity cycle (BRAC) and concluded that 90 minutes of activity followed by a short period of rest enabled people to achieve more.

This is because most peoples’ brains can only focus intensely for 90 to 120 minutes. This is the Ultradian Rhythm that regulates our sleeping and waking lives.

And if You Want to Master Something

Research also indicates that mastery is best achieved by practicing in blocks of 90 minutes. Psychologist, Anders Ericsson, a leading expert on expertise, conducted a study involving the best young violinists in the world and found that the top performers all had the same practice characteristics:

  • They practiced in the morning
  • They practiced for 3 sessions
  • Each session lasted 90 minutes
  • There was a short rest between each session

For many people, a break of 10-15 minutes is sufficient to fully recharge. To maximize recovery, get up and go for a short brisk walk and make sure you hydrate with water. If you have nature nearby then either look at it or even better go to it. Numerous studies have demonstrated that nature and green boost creativity and productivity.

It’s important to think of these 90 minute blocks as sprints rather than casual strolls. Although, forcing yourself to take a short break may seem counterintuitive, by working in sync with your natural cycle you’ll soon find your performance and productivity noticeably improve.

Martin Soorjoo works with individuals and teams to improve their performance and resilience.