Even during our routine daily activities, at standard conditions, we are exposed to plenty of stimuli and information from the outside world. All those fill and often even exceed our mental capacity. 

When we come home after a difficult day and want to just sit on a sofa, stay quiet for a while and do nothing, we usually find ourselves bored very quickly and we try to “fill” our brains with more stimulation. We often turn our TV or radio on in the background, play video games or use our phone.

 

That could lead to us being so overstimulated, that, for example, we would need to have some background noise on when trying to fall asleep. This can result in slower and worsened regeneration. Other consequences could be a reduced ability to absorb stimuli from the internal environment, we become less receptive to our own needs, feelings, fatigue and their initial signals in our body.

 

It is maybe why, performance and top athletes are considered a high risk group when it comes to the ability to perceive initial signals of overload, fatigue, or to identify physical emotions. This is perhaps due to their need to overcome and suppress uncomfortable feelings from their bodies, which are common parts of both training and competition. Because they spend a lot of time in this “discomfort” zone, they are able to create an effective mental mechanism to suppress these unpleasant, often painful, feelings. However, with this process comes with consequences. As mentioned above, these athletes could suppress all other feelings and signals from the internal environment, loosing very important, often essential information, which could help them to delay fatigue, to prevent injuries and to have a more effective regeneration.

 

Try to think about these questions and evaluate whether a professional athlete would answer them just like you or not.

How do you rest?

How many hours do you spend watching TV/on your phone/on a computer?

What time do you go to bed?

Do you feel tired after a meal?

How do you feel relaxed and rested after professional training?