In 1985, I attended a seminar, Journey to Center, at which I volunteered to demonstrate an exercise with Aikido master, Tom Crum. Tom, who became a mentor, asked me to stand before a large group.

Did you know that the typical American experiences upwards of 50 stressors a day? In my practice as a performance psychologist, my clients often cite stress, defined as an unwanted external strain, as a serious challenge in reaching and/or maintaining their professional goals.

Every elite athlete I know agrees with Yogi’s observation. After all, there is a limit as to how much strength, cardio, and agility conditioning a human body can physically endure.

Sustaining high performance—whether in sport or business—depends on far more than talent and ambition. It requires intentionally training the body, emotions, and mind to support consistent excellence.

In an effort to more fully understand the reasons behind these correlations, researchers used findings from the Human Connectome Project, which maps nerve fiber-level connections throughout the human brain, to seek connections between sleep quality and overall well-being.