GREEN ZONE HOLIDAY

While some athletes are dreaming of a white Christmas, my wish for you is a Green Zone holiday season—all December long. The “Green Zone” is what I call the psychological state when you are experiencing little to no negative stress, and your frontal cortex is lit up like a Christmas tree. While in this mental zone, you are able to think creatively, problem-solve effectively, and see the big picture— and your valuable role in it. For athletes, the Green Zone is your end zone: The sweet spot that inspires your best ideas, strongest performance, and game-winning mindset.

On the opposite end of the stress spectrum is the “Red Zone.”

In the Red Zone, our primitive brain kicks into gear. Fight-or-flight takes over, our rational reasoning shuts down, and creative problem solving goes out the window. When high stress grabs the wheel, watch out. Your practice, performance, and personal relationships can all become collateral damage.

How can you get in the Green Zone this holiday season— and stay there?

At EleVive, my team and I help athletes and high performers make their mindset their best asset by optimizing stress and strengthening resilience, especially during downtime. Here are a few of the strategies we recommend to our athletes, so they can make the most of this holiday season—and tap into peak performance when they’re back in the game:

Catch up on rest. A recent study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health shows that just 8% of high school students get the recommended amount of sleep during the week. Not only are our teens exhausted, but chronic sleep deprivation also impacts their ability to regulate their emotions and practice self-control—which makes staying out of the Red Zone next to impossible.

For both students and adults, the holiday season can be the ideal time to reset your circadian rhythm and give your body the sleep it needs to thrive. You can start by setting a new bedtime routine: Turn off your screens an hour before bed, turn up relaxing music, and practice deep breathing or meditation to focus your mind on rest before you hit the pillow.

Unwind with quality time. Between the end of the semester, a packed schedule, travel, and traffic, stress has a way of building up before the holidays. That’s why my second Green Zone suggestion is one focused on fun: Making memories with the people you care about most. Whether you take time for close family or chosen family, unwinding with the ones you love can be the pressure-relief valve you need to de-stress and reset.

Practice mindfulness. What holiday traditions does your family follow year after year? Over time, these moments can become little more than motions—or one of your most valuable mindfulness opportunities. This year, I invite you to pay special attention to each memory-making tradition, intentionally leaning in and staying present.

Mindfulness—not getting stuck on a past mistake or worrying about the future—is good practice for staying equally present in the game. Whatever the moment may hold, focusing on every aspect of the experience keeps your head where it matters.

Great athletes know—training hard requires resting hard.

The holiday season only comes once a year. If you can take a break from your practice schedule to enjoy your Green Zone holiday to the fullest, don’t miss the opportunity to do so. I can assure you, your game—and your mental well-being—will be better for it.

Visit EleVive.com to learn how our proprietary Neuro-Regenerative Training program helps athletes optimize stress and enhance their performance— during and after the game.