High Functioning vs High Performing: Lessons from the Nervous Systems of the Elite
Have you ever described yourself as a high-functioning worker?…
For a coach, this phrase sounds like an alarm bell. 'Tell me more about how your week and mind operate as a high functioning person,' they might say, while quietly checking for signs of impending burnout.
In the corporate world, understanding the distinction between high functioning and high performing talent is crucial, yet it’s a nuance often overlooked. High-functioning individuals excel at managing tasks, meeting deadlines, and maintaining productivity—often under significant stress. However, this relentless drive can come at the expense of personal well-being, leading to burnout and stagnation in role progression. In contrast, high-performing individuals not only meet objectives but do so sustainably, with a focus on long-term growth, resilience, and balance.
This difference is akin to the mindset of elite athletes who intimately know their physiology, capabilities, and limits. These athletes excel not just because of their physical prowess but because they have mastered the art of pushing themselves to the brink when the effort is worth it—and knowing when to pull back to protect their long-term performance. This level of self-awareness and boundary-setting allows them to maintain peak performance without sacrificing their health or career longevity.
Push to the End: The Skill of the Elite
Elite performers, whether in the boardroom or on the field, understand that pushing to the end is a necessary mentality, but they also know that this push must be calculated. It’s about ensuring that the effort is worth the gain, making sure the push doesn’t become a pull that drags them down.
As Michelle Obama wisely said, "In life, every day is an opportunity to practice who we want to become." For professionals, this means recognizing the importance of building endurance not just to finish strong but to do so without burning out. Achieving this requires understanding the emotional and physical interplay at play.
The Science Behind Stress and Performance
The field of psychoneuroimmunology has shown us that our mind, nervous system, and immune system are in constant communication. Stress isn’t inherently bad—it can bolster our immune system. However, prolonged exposure without recovery can lead to maladaptive reactions such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. High-performing individuals shine because they manage stress by pushing themselves just enough to grow, but not so far that they break.
The Corporate Athlete: Physiological Strategies for High Performance
Just like athletes, corporate professionals can benefit from understanding and optimizing their physiological responses to psychological stressors. Here are key strategies to enhance resilience and prevent burnout:
HRV and Vagus Nerve Health through Exercise
Incorporate Breathwork: A simple practice of 5:5 breath cycles for 2 minutes every hour can unplug the brain and act like a charging mat for autonomic balance.
Cold Exposure: Practices like cold plunges or the mammalian dive reflex can stimulate the vagus nerve, improving heart rate variability (HRV), stress resilience, and state awareness for better decision-making.
Intensity Training for Cortisol Control
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): Engaging in HIIT helps optimize cortisol regulation during psychosocial stressors. The effort should last no longer than 3 minutes and feel like 7-8/10 in difficulty, followed by equal or double rest periods to ensure repeatable performance.
Contrast Training: Alternating between high and low intensities strengthens cortisol control. Incorporating mindfulness and breathing techniques enhances interoception and improves state awareness of stressors, fostering better emotional regulation.
Recovery Strategies: Chronic and Acute
Active Recovery: During exercise, staying present helps prevent task-related stress from driving your system too hard. Afterward, switch back to the parasympathetic nervous system by lying on the floor, legs elevated, and completing progressive muscle relaxation.
Chronic Recovery: Prioritise sleep with consistent routines and relaxation techniques, ensuring both acute and chronic recovery. Plan periods to deload from exercise intensity every 4-8 weeks.
Set Non-Negotiables Like an Athlete
Establish Routines: Treat your routines for exercise, nutrition, and recovery with the same importance as a work meeting. This practice optimizes your nervous system, allowing you to present your best self.
Listen to Your Body: Regularly assess your physical and mental state, adjusting as needed to prevent burnout and sustain long-term success.
The Importance of Perspective and Self-Compassion
High-performing individuals, like elite athletes, deeply understand their boundaries. They know when to push for stretch goals and when to pull back to avoid unnecessary strain. This balance is essential for long-term success, allowing them to maintain high performance without compromising their health or well-being.
The Role of Self-Compassion
Self-compassion plays a crucial role in sustaining high performance. Neurobiology shows that when we face challenges like feeling unfit, making mistakes, or feeling vulnerable, our brain perceives these as threats, triggering a stress response with cortisol and adrenaline. For high-functioners, this response can be more intense, especially when the threat originates internally through self-criticism or unhelpful beliefs.
However, elite athletes and high-performing corporate professionals understand that their worth is not defined by outcomes but by their strength of character. Without self-compassion, stress and self-criticism can become a self-fulfilling prophecy of pain and rumination, keeping individuals trapped in high-functioning mode. Practicing self-compassion helps break this cycle, transforming high functioning into sustained high performance.
By recognizing the difference between high functioning and high performing, corporate professionals can learn to thrive, not just survive. This shift in mindset—from merely functioning under stress to performing with resilience and balance—leads to career growth, personal well-being, and overall life satisfaction.
In the end, the goal is not just to push hard, but to push smart.
** Interestingly, this has been shown to be ineffective in impulsive decisions makers.
If this sounds like an important conversation to facilitate with your talent, stars working on role progression or highly focused teams - Consider discussing "Master Me" and "Body Mind Refocused" with Unna Movement for tailored support.
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