Yep, and it doesn’t require spandex, the latest reality TV show or even whale music. Nope. It just requires a plan…
High Performance Living
To achieve high performance you generally want to have low levels of cortisol and high levels of testosterone, an anabolic hormonal profile (Typically what athletes have/tend to aim for).
Iranian medical researchers and british researchers have shown that elevated cortisol and reduced testosterone can lead to psychological stress and the risk of heart disease (not sexy stuff I know, but think about it this way, it also means a weak, fat and unattractive physique).
A study published in 1996 in the Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that obese women who boosted their testosterone levels lost significantly more abdominal at and gained more muscle mass compared to women who were given a placebo.
Need I say more about balancing the two?
Guys, if it’s important for women, imagine how crucial it is for you.
My Plan To Make You A Modern Day Monk
1. Switch Off All Electronic Devices
Whenever you want to relax and most importantly an hour before bed switch off all your electronic devices (not the alarm clock though).
Most people ask how they can improve their sleep and stress levels. When asked if they fall asleep to their laptop, the common answer is a resounding yes. Limiting your exposure to bright lights, laptops etc, will help with your cortisol levels.
2.Build Habit With A Day List
The nights are nights and the days are days, separate the two. At night begin your relaxation by building the habit to write your to-do list for the next day. This will help implement a shift into your nights. Write down everything you need to do the next day, any thoughts, any tasks, anything you have on your mind. Let it open and pull out the thoughts that keep you stressed.
3. Stretch It Out.
Muscle tension sucks, no one likes it and you may have it now. Are your shoulders raised up while you read this? Stretch out your body and relieve the stress that the day has caused. Roll your shoulders back and stretch your chest open.
4. Breath
After being all stretched up and thought ridden it’s time to breath.
It’s time to truly fall deep and focus on your breathing. Place yourself in a seated, comfortable position and close your eyes or focus on one position in the room. Take 5 seconds to breath in and 5 seconds to breath out, focusing on the breath helping you drop deeper and deeper.
5. Take Daily Vacations
Too many people skip lunch (both bad metabolically and mentally) or even worse they rush their food and don’t enjoy it. Learn to enjoy the finer things; read a book whilst eating slowly. Enjoy the flavors, share food with your lady, take pleasure in the process.
Go for a walk on your break and get some fresh air, oxygen and time to relax does amazing things for the body and mind.
6. Take BCAAs When On Low Caloric Diets.
Muscle break down (in a negative way) is one of the last things we want when dieting. Annoyingly it happens, especially while training in a fasted state.
Remember we spoke about amino acids and their link to cortisol earlier?
Taking BCAAs while working out, fasting or on a low calorie diet can help preserve and minimize the amount of muscle loss that would take place otherwise.
7. Drink Tulsi Tea After 4 Pm
Since drinking it my sleep has improved and I couldn’t be happier. It has anti-cortisol benefits and is caffeine free. So if you enjoy drinking a hot drink close to bed time, drink this.
What do you do when times get stressful? Let me know in the comments below.
Concluding Note
A while ago I read the classic, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, by Dale Carnegie. The title seemed cheesy, but the book proved to be one of the best I’ve read – and one I will continue to go back to over and over again. Worrying doesn’t just decay our minds and our bodies, but it brings to fruition exactly what we fear to happen.
When we worry so greatly about an outcome, our drive and passion to succeed is dampened. The possibility of failure can be so looming that success and a light at the end of the tunnel no longer exists. Take the tips that Dean has kindly given us in this article, but also check out Carnegie’s book. It’s life-altering.
Be Legendary,
Chad Howse
