What would your year be like if you performed at your best and felt deeply rejuvenated every day? When we are rejuvenated, we begin to perform at our best. Our peak performance is where the magic happens: our energy levels rise, our businesses expand, our families thrive, and our entire lives transform.
And it would be lovely to take this as a resolution because it is that time of year again where we start to think about our New Year's resolutions. For many of us, 2022 was a tough year and we are looking to start 2023 off on the right foot. One resolution that many people have is to get back in shape and achieve peak performance. Whether you are an athlete looking to compete at a higher level, or someone who just wants to feel their best, there are a few key things that you can do to make sure that you start 2023 off at your peak.
Here are some of the tips to help you achieve peak performance in 2023.
1. Sleep quality- Sleeping effectively is very essential for our body. During these hours the cells recover and repair them which is important for stress management, anger tolerance, hormonal balance and brain health. According to the report of Sleep Foundation, inadequate sleep has a yearly economic impact of over $411 billion in the United States alone. It also highlights that chronic insomnia affects between 10% and 30% of adults, and between 30% and 48% of older adults. Checking phones, consuming alcohol or caffeine just before sleeping and not having a healthy sleep schedule leads to the disturbances in circadian rhythm which leads to all the sleep disorders. As a matter of fact, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule is critical for improved sleep quality.
2. Nutrition- The fast life that each one of us is living pushes us to rely on packaged food instead of organic, farm grown food because it is quick and easy to make. But that food has high toxins, less calories, high sugar content and low nutritional value. This leads to obesity and other health problems which interfere with our conduct. According to the 2022 report of WHO, obesity affects more than one billion people worldwide, including 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents, and 39 million children. To rejuvenate ourselves and perform optimally in the coming year, one of the resolutions could be to reduce the dependency on packaged food.
3. Physical exercise- Regular physical exercise benefits people of all age groups both mentally and physically. Despite this, more than 80 % of adolescents and 27% adults do not meet the WHO’s recommendation for physical activity. For maximum efficiency, include at least 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days in a week because long sitting hours are deteriorating our performance.
4. Social support- Humans are social creatures but we are losing the ability to interact with others face to face in this age of facebook, instagram, snapchat and smartphones. Real-time connections with other folks have an enormous impact on general happiness and longevity. Increase your social circle, interact with people and push yourself into at least some social situations this year.
5. Breathing- Have you heard that deep breathing helps to alleviate high levels of stress? Yes, it is true.Many people nowadays breathe through their mouths which leads to stress. Hence, training ourselves to do deep belly breathing in the 4-7-8 pattern (Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds) and breathing through the nose will definitely help us to achieve our optimum performance in 2023.
6. Focus and Plan- Another step to achieve peak performance is to set SMART (Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) goals. Focusing and planning beforehand helps us go a long way. This will help to keep you motivated and on track throughout the year.
7. Skill upgradation- It is really important to upgrade our skills or develop new ones because they go a long way with us. Be creative, enthusiastic and open to learning even if you are in a settled profession. Learn one new skill (could be driving, knitting, cooking, dancing, playing an instrument, singing, making candles, baking etc.) each month this year to enhance your overall well being.
8. Give back- Remember to give back to society this year. This will help you to feel motivated and optimistic. Being altruistic also makes us feel good about ourselves. You can try that for yourself. Donate your old stuff (for example, clothes that you haven't used for two years) which can be useful for someone else or even monetary donations go a long way. However, remember to check the credibility of the sources before donating.
9. Develop resilience- Accept that there will be times when you might say “why me.” However, building the skill of resilience will help you to withstand adversity and bounce back from those difficult times. Being resilient does not mean that you will not experience difficulty, stress or pain, it just means that you will be able to embrace the struggle. To develop resilience, be proactive, hopeful, optimistic and try to make everyday meaningful.
10. Reflection- Make some time in your day for self-reflection for emotional growth through any ways that you prefer- be it meditation, prayer, journaling, yoga, practicing gratitude, being in nature with plants or animals. Make a notebook in which you can do journaling or do gratitude entry after every day/week/month. This will help to keep a check-in on your emotions and thoughts.
Final words-
New year brings with it new hopes, new resolutions and new dreams. Healthy sleep, diet, physical activity, social interaction, setting goals and mindful breathing are some of the essential resolutions that you can take with yourself in the new year 2023 to perform at your best. Let’s go with the goal of “keep learning and improving.”
Diana Sherin Gomez
References-
Suni, E. (2021, February 8). Sleep Statistics. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-facts-statistics
The Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022. (n.d.). Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/physical-activity/global-status-report-on-physical-activity-2022
World Health Organization. (2022, March 4). World Obesity Day 2022 – Accelerating action to stop obesity. Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/news/item/04-03-2022-world-obesity-day-2022-accelerating-action-to-stop-obesity#:~:text=More%20than%201%20billion%20people