‘Did you take your MEDS?’ is a great way to remind yourself of how to operate as your best self! M.E.D.S is a simple acronym for:
Mindset
Exercise
Diet
Sleep
Let me ask you - How well do you take care of these 4 categories on a consistent, daily, basis?
Lets break this down…
Mindset: Or mindfulness… how well are you staying aware? Grounded? Present in what you are doing? Are you consistently working on improving your mindset and mindfulness with such things as: meditation, listening to podcasts, reading, breathing techniques, and others?
Exercise: For each athlete this is different. But I don’t just mean ‘going to practice,’ or doing the bare minimum. For you to become an elite performer you must do more. Getting to practice early, staying late, putting in the extra reps.
Diet: Or nutrition… how disciplined are you to what you put into your body? I like to say, and have heard from many nutritionists, that athletes need to view food as fuel. If you’re consistently eating junk food, that’s ‘junk’ fuel you’re trying to operate with. Compared to those that eat healthy, healthy snacks, eating consistently, with a plan are operating with good or ‘healthy’ fuel. We all know who’s going to win in the long run.
Sleep: This may be one of the most overlooked aspects of our performance, especially for younger athletes. There is more and more research coming out on how important sleep is for high performers. If you’re not having a consistent bedtime and wakeup, getting minimum 8 hours of sleep per night, charging your phone away from you (not in arms length), than you’re not operating at your highest levels yet.
CHALLENGE: What M.E.D.S. do you need to focus more on? How?
Own your outcome!
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