Kiddipedia
By Exercise physiologist, Drew Harrisberg
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A swim in the ocean (cryotherapy)
For me, cold water immersion is like a cup of coffee. It gives me an energising/awakening effect that can’t be matched. Cryo is a form of hormesis i.e a low-dose stressor that elicits health benefits. I swim every morning of the year and often end my day with a second one. If you don’t have access to a beach, a cold shower or ice bath is another great way to build a strong mind. The self-inflicted nature of the pain makes it a bulletproof stimulus for growth.
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A workout
No matter how stressed, distracted, or foggy my mind is, a workout is a trustworthy remedy for me. It’s almost impossible to experience any mental turmoil when you’re in the middle of a tough set. If I really need a release, I’ll smash a boxing workout at 12RND fitness. It’s the ultimate outlet. There’s something so satisfying about smashing a boxing bag. I get the same feeling when I’m surfing. Both the gym and the ocean demand that you’re 100% all there. Afterwards you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
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Movement Snacks
Movement promotes movement. I often break up long periods of sitting with small bite-sized movement snacks. Something as simple as 20 bodyweight squats or 20 up-dog-down-dog transitions liberates me, both physically and mentally. Whether I spend long periods of time working on my computer or writing a song on the guitar, simply moving my body unlocks a sense of focus and creativity.
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Mindful breathing techniques
Mindful breathing is a tool that enables me to bio-hack my autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is responsible for regulating bodily functions such as heart rate, respiratory rate, digestion, blood pressure, blood flow, body temperate, sweat rate etc. It is made up of two opposing systems: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The parasympathetic nervous system is the rest/digest system responsible for rebuilding and restoring the body. The sympathetic nervous system is the fight or flight nervous system responsible for priming the body for action and mobilising stored energy. Most people live in a state of sympathetic overdrive due to the daily ongoing chronic stressors of the modern world. We want to flow in and out of these two nervous systems throughout the day without being overly dominant in either one. For example the sympathetic nervous system should be active during a workout, an important meeting, event, public speaking, or any time of day that makes you required to be alert. The parasympathetic nervous system should be active when you are resting, eating a meal, digesting your meal, sleeping, meditating etc.
Box breathing is a simple technique that I utilise regularly on a daily basis. An example of box breathing could look something like this:
Inhale for 4 seconds through the nose, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds. Repeat for 4 rounds (or as many rounds as you desire).
You can also utilise any duration you desire (I personally like to use 6-8 seconds). When using this breathing technique try to inhale using your diaphragm. You don’t want shallow, high, ‘chesty’ breathing. You want deep, low, ‘belly’ breathing.
Great times of the day to use breathing techniques are after any time that you’ve been in sympathetic overdrive for extended periods of time such as after stressful back to back meetings or phone calls, when you’re stuck in traffic, after a strenuous workout, and before meals is a wonderful way to prime your body for optimal digestion.
The workout Drew Harrisberg does religiously for mindset
Interestingly, there are two significantly different styles of workouts on extreme ends of the spectrum that I routinely do, both of which lead to the same outcome – a resilient mindset.
The first is any variety of gruelling, challenging workouts. When you put yourself through a difficult workout, the mindset that you take with you for the rest of the day is one that enables productivity, confidence and resilience. For me, the harder the workout, the more rewarding it is. If you can conquer a self-inflicted physical struggle, you become better at coping with the inevitable extrinsic daily stressors that follow. As the old saying goes ‘win the morning win the day’. Whether its a HIIT workout, weight-lifting, calisthenics, or a full body circuit like the one I love to do at 12RND fitness, I always leave with well-primed mind which enables me to have a happy and successful day. The sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a gruelling workout is hard to recreate. When I show up to a workout at 12RND, I know that I am guaranteed a ‘fight’ (so to speak). The workout is designed like a boxing title fight; 12x 3-min rounds with 30 seconds rest between rounds. There’s nothing easy about it, and that’s why I love it. It requires a strong mind. All you have to do is simply show up and you’re guaranteed to leave even stronger than when you arrived.
The other style of workout that primes my mind for clarity is yoga. Whether its 20 minutes or 60 minutes, a vinyasa yoga flow with a focus on breathing is a great way to get the endorphins flowing and ultimately tap into the parasympathetic zen-like state. I put on some relaxing music, set up my yoga mat looking out on a beautiful view and simply enter the flow state. Again, when you focus on synchronising your breathing with your movement patterns, it’s almost impossible to worry about anything else. For me, yoga is a powerful way to be entirely where you are, fully present, conscious, and aware of your body and surroundings. After a yoga flow, it’s as if I awaken from a sleep-state with better cognition, focus, purpose and determination.
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