Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success

by Brad Stulberg

Whether you are tense because you are cranking out a memo on a tight deadline or because you are cranking out heavy sets in the weight room, mindfulness meditation can help improve your performance. The feeling of being wound up is the physiological manifestation of the mind bracing for a threat, and it enters into stress mode. If you remain stressed after taking a break (by stepping away from the keyboard or the barbell), you will lose much of the break’s effectiveness. It’s not hard to tell if your break is being hijacked by lingering stress. You generally feel it in your shoulders (are they raised?), forearms (are they flexed?), and jaw (is it clenched?). If you experience these sensations, you might want to consider a short bout of mindfulness meditation. Sit down in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take 10 deep breaths, in and out through your nose. Focus on only the sensation of your breath. Physical pain, tightness, and negative thoughts may arise. If they do, do not ignore them. Rather, acknowledge them non-judgmentally, let them go, and then return to focusing on your breath.