When we think of high performance, it’s easy to picture late nights, relentless grind, and coffee-fuelled intensity. But here’s the truth: true high performance isn’t about burnout—it’s about balance. Your mind and body are the ultimate tools for success, and the sharper they are, the higher you’ll soar.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to cultivate a high-performance mindset rooted in wellbeing and health. Drawing from experts like Andrew Huberman, Wim Hof, Dr Alok Kanojia, Jim Kwik, and Guy Leschziner, we’ll arm you with science-backed tools to help you thrive—not just survive.
1. Start with the Foundation: Sleep is Your Superpower
The Science
Dr Guy Leschziner, a world-renowned neurologist, emphasises that sleep is the cornerstone of cognitive and physical performance. It’s during sleep that your brain clears out toxins, consolidates memories, and repairs the body. Inadequate sleep doesn’t just make you tired—it erodes decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation.
The Tools
Sleep Cycles: Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep, ideally aligned with your natural circadian rhythm.
Night-time Wind Down: Leschziner suggests avoiding blue light from screens at least an hour before bed to allow melatonin production to kick in. Instead, read or journal to relax your mind.
Consistency Is Key: Go to bed and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. This stabilises your body clock, improving the quality of your rest.
Exercise:
Before bed, practice these steps:
Spend 10–15 minutes doing a calming activity, like reading a book, journaling, or meditating.
Practise the 4-7-8 Breathing Method:
Inhale deeply for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly for 8 seconds. Repeat 3–4 times.
Avoid stimulating activities like intense exercise or stressful conversations.
This simple practice calms the nervous system and preps your body for restorative sleep.
2. Master Your Energy: Cold Exposure and Breathing for Resilience
The Science
Wim Hof, “The Iceman,” teaches that controlled exposure to cold combined with breathwork can supercharge your energy, reduce inflammation, and increase mental clarity. Cold plunges and deep breathing stimulate the vagus nerve, which helps regulate your stress response.
The Tools
Cold Showers: Start with 30 seconds at the end of your normal shower, gradually increasing to 2 minutes. It’s uncomfortable at first but builds resilience and releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine.
Wim Hof Breathing Method:
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Take 30 deep breaths (inhale fully, exhale gently but not completely).
Hold your breath after the last exhale for as long as you can.
Inhale deeply, hold for 15 seconds, and repeat.
Exercise:
Begin your day with 2 rounds of Wim Hof breathing, followed by a cold shower. You’ll feel alert, focused, and ready to tackle challenges head-on.
3. Feed Your Focus: Nutrition and Cognitive Enhancement
The Science
Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist, highlights the critical role of nutrition in brain function. Blood sugar stability is key for maintaining energy and focus throughout the day. Spikes and crashes from sugary snacks and processed carbs can derail your productivity.
The Tools
Protein First Thing: Kickstart your day with a high-protein breakfast to stabilise blood sugar and support dopamine production. Think eggs, Greek yoghurt, or a protein shake.
Hydration Rules: Huberman stresses drinking at least 500ml of water upon waking to rehydrate the brain and body. Dehydration, even mild, can impair cognitive performance.
Caffeine Timing: Avoid caffeine for the first 90 minutes after waking. This prevents dependency on cortisol spikes and sustains energy later in the day.
Exercise:
Track your meals and energy levels for one week. Notice what fuels you and what drags you down. Adjust accordingly—your diet is your performance fuel.
4. Train Your Brain: Neuroplasticity and Learning Hacks
The Science
Jim Kwik, brain coach to top performers, teaches that your brain is a muscle—it thrives on challenge and novelty. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, means you can continuously learn, adapt, and sharpen your mental agility.
The Tools
Daily Reading: Commit to reading 20 minutes a day. Choose books that stretch your thinking, from biographies to neuroscience to leadership.
The F.A.S.T. Method:
Forget distractions while learning.
Active learning—engage with the material.
State: Manage your emotions to associate learning with joy.
Teach what you learn to solidify knowledge.
Brain Warm-ups: Start the day with a brain exercise, like memorising a quote, solving a puzzle, or practising a new skill.
Exercise:
Pick a new skill to master—whether it’s learning a language, playing an instrument, or solving Rubik’s Cubes. Focus on incremental progress, and watch your confidence grow.
5. Train Your Focus: Dopamine, Mindfulness, and Attention
The Science
Dr Alok Kanojia emphasises that focus isn’t just about discipline—it’s about managing your dopamine system. Dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, drives motivation but can be easily hijacked by distractions like social media.
The Tools
The Dopamine Reset: Minimise dopamine spikes by avoiding overstimulation first thing in the morning. Instead of reaching for your phone, spend the first 30 minutes journaling, meditating, or moving your body.
Mindfulness Breaks: Take 5 minutes every hour to practice mindfulness. Simply pause, breathe, and refocus on the task at hand.
Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused bursts (e.g., 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off). This taps into the brain’s natural rhythm of focus and recovery.
Exercise:
Write down one distraction you’ll eliminate this week (e.g., checking emails constantly). Replace it with a focus-building habit, like deep work blocks or a mindfulness practice.
Ah, so you want some more tips? Ok, here we go...
6.Fuel Your Body with Real Food: The Power of Unprocessed Nutrition
The Science
Dr. Mark Hyman, a leading functional medicine expert and bestselling author, emphasises that food is medicine. What you eat directly affects your brain, body, and energy levels. Processed foods—packed with sugar, refined carbs, and unhealthy fats—trigger inflammation, spike blood sugar, and deplete your mental clarity. In contrast, whole, unprocessed foods provide the nutrients your body needs to perform at its peak.
Processed foods may seem convenient, but they’re like fuelling a high-performance car with cheap petrol—inefficient and damaging over time.
The Benefits of Eating Whole Foods
Stabilised Energy: Unprocessed foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins release energy steadily, preventing the crashes caused by sugar-laden snacks.
Reduced Inflammation: Chronic inflammation from processed foods impacts your immune system, focus, and even mood. Anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, berries, and omega-3-rich fish counteract this.
Better Brain Function: Nutrients like healthy fats, antioxidants, and vitamins from whole foods enhance neuroplasticity, focus, and decision-making.
The Tools
Crowd Out Processed Foods: Rather than cutting everything at once, focus on adding more whole foods to your plate. Over time, they naturally replace the processed options.
The Plate Method: Dr. Hyman recommends filling half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with quality protein, and the remaining quarter with whole grains or starchy vegetables. Add a healthy fat source like avocado, olive oil, or nuts.
Prioritise Protein: Protein stabilises blood sugar and supports muscle and brain function. Include sources like eggs, grass-fed meat, tofu, or lentils in every meal.
Example Meal Plan for High Performance
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado, paired with a small handful of walnuts.
Lunch: Grilled chicken or ribeye steak with quinoa, steamed broccoli, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Snack: Carrot sticks and hummus or a boiled egg with a few almonds.
Dinner: Wild salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and sautéed kale.
Exercise: The Food Audit
Write down everything you eat for three days.
Highlight any processed foods or high-sugar items.
Choose one processed food to swap for a whole food alternative (e.g., replace crisps with roasted chickpeas or biscuits with fresh berries).
7. Harness the Power of Fasting: Reset Your Body and Mind
The Science
Fasting isn’t just a trend—it’s a science-backed strategy for better health and mental clarity. Dr. Jason Fung, a global authority on intermittent fasting, explains that periods of fasting allow your body to repair itself, stabilise blood sugar, and improve brain function. When you fast, your body switches from using glucose for energy to burning stored fat, producing ketones that fuel your brain and enhance cognitive performance.
Fasting also triggers autophagy, a process where your cells clean out damaged components, promoting longevity and reducing inflammation.
The Benefits of Fasting for High Performance
Enhanced Focus: Fasting increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports learning, memory, and neural growth.
Stabilised Energy: By reducing insulin spikes, fasting helps avoid the highs and lows of blood sugar swings.
Improved Resilience: Fasting teaches your body and mind to function well even in periods of scarcity, fostering adaptability.
The Tools
Start Small: Begin with a 12:12 fasting window (12 hours of eating, 12 hours fasting). Gradually increase to 16:8 if it suits your lifestyle.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water, herbal tea, or black coffee during fasting periods to stay hydrated and curb hunger.
Experiment: Find what works for you. Some prefer fasting in the morning, while others find success skipping dinner.
Exercise: The 16:8 Trial:
Choose an 8-hour eating window, such as 12 pm–8 pm.
For one week, eat during that window and fast outside it.
Notice changes in your focus, energy, and mood.
8.Socialisation: The Secret Sauce for Longevity and Performance
The Science
Humans thrive in connection. As highlighted in the Harvard Study of Adult Development, quality relationships are a greater predictor of happiness and health than wealth or fame. Social interactions release oxytocin, the "bonding hormone," which reduces stress, boosts trust, and even strengthens the immune system.
Loneliness, on the other hand, has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease, depression, and cognitive decline. For high performers, fostering meaningful relationships isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential.
The Benefits of Socialisation for High Performance
Reduced Stress: Oxytocin released during social interactions lowers cortisol levels, helping you stay calm under pressure.
Enhanced Creativity: Conversations and collaborations spark new ideas and perspectives.
Increased Longevity: Strong social bonds have been proven to extend life expectancy and improve overall health.
The Tools
Prioritise Quality Time: Schedule regular time with loved ones—friends, family, or colleagues—to build and strengthen relationships.
Be Fully Present: When engaging with others, put away your phone and listen deeply. Presence signals respect and fosters trust.
Expand Your Network: Join groups, attend events, or start a hobby to meet like-minded individuals.
Exercise: The Connection Challenge
Identify three people you value but haven’t connected with recently.
Reach out and schedule a catch-up—coffee, a walk, or even a quick video call.
During your time together, focus on listening and expressing genuine interest in their life.
9: Prioritise Exercise, Especially Strength and conditioning Training
Dr. Peter Attia, a renowned expert on longevity and health optimisation, emphasises that exercise—particularly strength training—is one of the most powerful tools for better sleep and overall health. Regular exercise not only reduces stress but also improves the quality and depth of your sleep by helping to regulate your circadian rhythm.
The Science
Exercise increases adenosine levels in the brain, a chemical that builds up during the day and creates the sensation of sleepiness by evening.
Strength and conditioning training improves metabolic health, which is linked to better sleep duration and quality.
Regular movement reduces anxiety and stress, two major culprits of poor sleep.
Exercise:
Incorporate Strength and Conditioning Training 4–5 Times a Week:
Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and push-ups, which engage multiple muscle groups. Start with light weights and progress gradually.
Avoid Late-Night High-Intensity Workouts:
Vigorous exercise close to bedtime can raise your heart rate and delay sleep. Instead, finish your intense workouts at least 3–4 hours before bed.
Add Low-Intensity Movement in the Evening:
Gentle activities like yoga, stretching, or a leisurely walk help your body transition into relaxation mode.
Why It Works:
Strength training builds muscle and increases growth hormone production, essential for repair and recovery during sleep.
Regular exercise optimises your body temperature regulation, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Morning workouts align with your natural cortisol spike, reinforcing your circadian rhythm and promoting better sleep.
The Weekly Movement Plan
Morning: Schedule 4/5 strength and conditioning training sessions per week, focusing on form and progression.
Evening: On non-strength days, include light yoga or stretching before bed.
Daily: Aim for at least 10,000 steps to keep your body active and your mind clear.
Small Steps to Big Change
High performance isn’t about doing everything at once. It’s about choosing one or two areas to focus on and building habits that energise and sustain you. With each step, you’ll notice your clarity, energy, and resilience soar.
Here’s the question: What’s one small shift you can make today to take care of your mind and body? Pick one tool, try it for a week, and watch the ripple effect in your performance and wellbeing.
Because at the end of the day, your health isn’t just part of the equation—it’s the whole foundation.
The High-Performance Checklist:
Score yourself out of 10 on each area and anything less than 6 may need immediate attention.
Sleep Smart: Prioritise consistent, high-quality sleep.
Embrace the Cold: Use cold exposure and breathwork to build resilience.
Fuel Wisely: Stabilise energy with protein-rich meals and hydration.
Grow Your Brain: Challenge yourself to learn something new every day.
Master Attention: Manage your dopamine to stay focused and motivated.
Fuel Your Body with Real Food: The Power of Unprocessed Nutrition
Harness the Power of Fasting: Reset Your Body and Mind
Socialisation: The Secret Sauce for Longevity and Performance
Prioritise Exercise, Especially Strength and Conditioning Training
BUT...and it's a BIG BUT - Why is our Health and These Tools Overlooked in Society?
Despite the growing awareness of wellbeing, the powerful tools for health and performance—like sleep optimisation, fasting, and socialisation—often remain underutilised or misunderstood in society. Why?
Let’s dive into the core reasons:
1. The Culture of Productivity Over Health
Modern society glorifies busyness and hustle. The narrative often equates success with working longer, harder, and faster, leaving little room to prioritise self-care. Sleep is dismissed as a luxury, meals are grabbed on the go, and downtime is seen as lazy.
The Consequences:
This “always-on” culture leads to burnout, decreased creativity, and chronic health problems. Ironically, the very tools that enhance productivity—like good sleep and proper nutrition—are sidelined.
2. A Reactive Healthcare System
The current healthcare model is largely reactive rather than preventative. Most medical systems focus on treating illness after it occurs, rather than educating people on how to prevent it in the first place.
Why It’s a Problem:
Preventative practices like fasting or prioritising unprocessed foods don’t generate immediate profits for the food or pharmaceutical industries. This means they’re rarely promoted on a systemic level, leaving people unaware of their long-term benefits.
3. The Convenience Trap
We live in a world where convenience trumps quality. Processed foods, quick fixes, and instant gratification dominate because they’re easy and time-efficient. Taking time to prepare a healthy meal, commit to a sleep schedule, or practise breathwork requires effort and intention—two things society often undervalues.
What Happens:
This convenience culture creates habits of mediocrity. Quick energy fixes like sugar and caffeine replace the long-term stability of proper nutrition, and scrolling through social media substitutes genuine social connection.
4. Lack of Education
Despite an abundance of information, there’s a lack of widespread, practical education about these tools. Schools rarely teach students about the science of sleep, fasting, or socialisation, leaving people to figure it out themselves—often too late.
The Issue:
Without foundational knowledge, many people don’t understand how these practices improve not just health, but mental clarity, emotional resilience, and overall performance.
5. Misinformation and Trends
Health advice is often overshadowed by flashy trends and fads. From “detox teas” to extreme diets, the wellness industry sometimes promotes quick, unproven fixes instead of evidence-based strategies.
The Result:
People get confused, overwhelmed, or disillusioned by health promises that don’t deliver. Proven tools like fasting, mindfulness, or prioritising social bonds get lost in the noise.
6. Resistance to Change
Habits are hard to break. Implementing tools like fasting or mindful breathing challenges long-held behaviours, requiring discipline and effort.
The Result:
People often resist change, even when they know it’s good for them, because the short-term discomfort outweighs the perceived long-term gain.
7. The Stigma Around Self-Care
Taking time for health can be seen as selfish or indulgent, especially in high-pressure environments. Leaders, parents, and professionals may feel guilty prioritising their wellbeing, fearing it makes them appear less committed or productive.
The Result:
It perpetuates the myth that wellbeing is a "nice-to-have" rather than an essential foundation for success.
How to Shift the Narrative
Recognising these tools and integrating them into society starts with education, awareness, and leadership. Leaders, organisations, and influencers need to model and advocate for healthier behaviours—not as a luxury but as a requirement for high performance and a better quality of life.
The Question:
What would happen if we flipped the script? What if prioritising health and these tools became the norm, not the exception? It’s a challenge worth taking—because true success starts with a strong mind, body, and spirit.
The tools are here. It’s time society embraced them.
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