Stress on!
I’m reading an interesting book on how extreme athletes use their ability to ‘get in the zone’ to be able to do crazy feats. It is becoming clearer in the research that what actually happens is that part of your ‘thinking’ brain shuts down, or is co-opted by the ‘implicit’ brain during times of flow.
It creates this unique situation where the athlete gets the benefit of the thinking brain’s decision making skills but also the speed and efficiency and reflex of the ‘dinosaur’ brain. It allows them to make high-quality, snap decisions in the moment. When they are in the zone they become supermen.
This state of flow was first discovered in situations of extreme stress or duress. It is a natural way for the human mind-body connection to deal with these situations. In the flow state the participants find that time slows down, that they are very calm and that they simply know what to do.
Therefore, this morning, I come to you in support of stress! Big, crazy, ‘back-against-the-wall’ stress. This big crazy stress is what turns you into superman. You should embrace it.
We create our own stress because we either crave the flow state or unconsciously know that in that flow state we can rise above ordinary. We can drive results from ourselves that we could never otherwise.
How many times have you had a big project at work or school and were ‘up against it’? But you put on your head phones, focused and banged out that assignment in 20 minutes, because you had to. It gives great hope to procrastinators like myself who force themselves into a corner and are forced to morph into superman to get things done.
The common wisdom is to avoid high stress and dangerous situations. Maybe that is wrong. Maybe the high stress and the danger is where we are our best? Maybe the rest of the time we are just floating by getting only a fraction of our capability?
Of course, constant stress, unremitting stress will dull the implement of our mind and energy. But I think a good dose of situational stress brings out the best in us.
Today instead of avoiding stress and danger try to confront it within a flow state. Try to move easily in and through stress, letting you brain calm and trusting your training to make the right decisions quickly and effectively.
Stress on my friends.