Our emotions act as a messenger between our brain and our bodies which helps us the better understand the beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world around us and the state we are in in that moment.
Yet people often push emotions down and to the side. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
That isn’t the case.
Our emotions impact our performance each and every day. Whether that is in sport, in the office, or in our personal lives. And when those emotions go unchecked, it can cause a myriad of negative effects such as a decrease in immune function, poor decision making, self-sabotaging behaviours, and decrease in cognitive processing.
For example, you have a goal to put yourself first and part of that means fueling your body with healthier foods. But you’ve just come home from a long day at the office, your body is sluggish, your brain is tired, and you are hungry. Do you think your immediate thought is to get out the vegetables and proteins to make for dinner? Not likely. You are more likely to order take-out or reach for some snacks in the cupboard.
Let’s look at the flip side of that scenario. You have a goal to put yourself first and part of that means fueling your body with healthier foods. You had a great sleep, a pleasant day at work with minimal stress, and are feeling happy and energized but you are hungry. When you get home are you more inclined to cook yourself a healthy meal or reach for whatever is fastest? You would most likely stick to your goal and cook a meal.
Something as simple as this has that ability to throw your good intentions out the door.
This is why it is important that we start emphasizing the importance of how we are feeling each and every day and work towards finding the underlying cause of them. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know there is one.
An easy way to start calibrating your emotional state is the take time to check in with yourself each day. Start by checking in each morning and each evening. Then begin to add in moments throughout the day (set an alarm). You may notice some patterns start to arise around certain times of day or even around certain topics or people.
After putting in the reps, you will begin to notice where there is work to be done internally to put yourself in a more positive and productive state and ultimately improve your performance.
– Coach Taylor
