HOW PLAY HELPS YOU PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE
The Play State keeps your nervous system balanced and improves your performance under pressure.
The Play nervous system state is more than just fun and games; it's a powerful way to enhance your performance under pressure.
At NEUROFIT, we have found that you can harness and transform your stress response into better performance, and improve your overall well-being.
What is the Play State?
The Play State combines elements of both safety and high energy, allowing you to remain flexible and creative even when under stress.
Unlike the fight-or-flight response, which can make you feel overwhelmed or reactive, the Play State also contains elements of the Ventral Vagal state on the NEUROFIT Ring, keeping you engaged and balanced:
The NEUROFIT Ring shows the six possible nervous system states, and the transitions between them.
Why the Play State Matters
When you're in the Play State, your nervous system activates both the Ventral Vagal rest and digest and the Sympathetic fight or flight circuits. This combination allows you to handle stress with a sense of ease, creativity, high-energy, rather than fear or anxiety.
Research shows that engaging in playful activities can boost your mood, increase your resilience to stress, and improve your emotional regulation.
And this is also backed by our NEUROFIT app data - community members who prioritize daily play report 26% more balanced check-ins.
Signs You're Not in the Play State
Difficulty concentrating or completing tasks
Feeling overwhelmed or shut down
Getting stuck in a loop of negative thoughts
Physical pain, like muscle tension or headaches
Emotional symptoms like irritability or anxiety
Real-Life Examples of the Play State
Consider a team preparing for a big presentation. Instead of focusing solely on the stress, they engage in a quick, playful activity like a team-building game or a creative brainstorming session.
This not only breaks the ice, but also shifts their nervous system into the Play State, making it easier to handle the upcoming pressure.
Or think about athletes who incorporate competitive and playful drills into their training.
These activities not only improve their skills, but also improves their nervous system resilience, ensuring that they perform better under the stress of competition.
How to Access the Play State
Accessing the Play State is simpler than you might think. Here are some practical ways to incorporate play into your daily routine:
Creative Expression: Take up a hobby like painting, dancing, or playing a musical instrument.
Mindful Play: Activities like yoga or tai chi that combine movement with mindfulness can also activate the Play State.
Somatic Exercises: High-Energy exercises like Standing Breath of Fire, Cannon breath, or Tree Shaking can all shift you into the Play State:
The NEUROFIT App's smart exercise library matches you with somatic exercises that relieve stress within three minutes.
The Science Behind Play
Play helps keep the nervous system balanced by engaging afferent nerves in both a safe and activating way, which send signals from the body to the brain. This bottom-up approach is more effective for managing stress than traditional top-down methods like talk therapy.
For example, more than 80% of the nerves in the nervous system are bottom-up, meaning they run from the body towards the brain. In contrast, less than 20% of the nerves in the body run top-down, from the brain to the body.
At NEUROFIT, our app utilizes this concept by providing users with personalized, data-driven exercises designed to activate the Play State. Our average active app user reports a 54% reduction in stress after just one week of using the app.
The NEUROFIT App's guided nervous system program is designed to reduce stress and resolve burnout within a few weeks.
Personal Experience with the Play State
I remember a time when my wife Loren and I were feeling immense pressure to first launch the NEUROFIT App. We had been working long hours, and felt the weight of expectations. One evening, we decided to take a break and do some Body Shaking together:
The laughter and light-heartedness of this exercise shifted our entire mood and perspective. We went back to work with renewed energy and creativity, and went on to have a successful launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Play State?
The Play State is a combination of both safety and high energy, allowing you to handle stress with creativity and resilience.
How can I access the Play State?
Why is the Play State important for performance?
The Play State helps keep the nervous system both activated and balanced, making it easier to handle stress, stay focused, and perform under pressure.
How does NEUROFIT help with the Play State?
NEUROFIT provides personalized exercises designed to activate the Play State, helping users reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
By understanding and utilizing the Play State, you can transform your stress response to help you improve your performance under pressure.
