STRATEGIC DISENGAGEMENT Strategic Disengagement and Athletes The term “Strategic Disengagement” comes from the Human Performance 1 Institute , which studied world class athletes as a way to better understand how to make world class workers (referred to as “Corporate Athletes”). What they found, which will be no surprise to athletes, is that you reach peak performance not by exhausting yourself 100% of the time, or by sitting around doing nothing, but in oscillating between energy expenditure (such as working out) and energy renewal (resting).2 Which leads to an important point—not all stress is bad. Yes, chronic distress causes muscle tension, increases blood pressure, lowers immunity, 3 and can cause anxiety, depression, sadness, and burnout. But there’s also a good kind of stress, called eustress. It helps you develop skills and is the key becoming more efficient and more effective. And regardless of what kind of stress you face, you need rest. Taking a break with humor helps you recharge the batteries, meaning you come back stronger, more focused, and re–energized for your work. 1 Learn more at htww.co/hpi. 2 After all, your muscles don’t grow while you’re working out, they grow while you’re resting after you’ve worked out and are consuming chocolate milk (one of the best post–workout drinks). 3 See Stressed in America. 204