Finding Flow: A Nervous System Framework for High-Performance Leaders, Teams, and Athletes
In the modern high-performance world—whether in elite sports, entrepreneurial ventures, or executive boardrooms—there is an overlooked factor that determines whether we thrive or falter: our internal physiological state. The driver of this state is our nervous system, which functions as a central command center governing our state before we are conscious of it, from healing and growth to mobilization (fight, flight) and shutdown.
Our nervous system not only determines whether we can perform at our best when it counts, but whether we actually enjoy it or hate it (wearing the mask), whether we recover effectively, whether we experience moments of connection and belonging, and whether we can sustain our energy and capacity over months, years, and decades.
Understanding our nervous system and building a flexible and adaptable relationship with it is one of the most powerful strategies for long-term resilience, peak performance, and growth.
The Nervous System as Performance Gatekeeper
I view holistic optimal human performance through the lens of Polyvagal Theory. Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, PVT is the body of work that views the autonomic nervous system as the body’s arbiter of state, constantly shifting our internal system between three primary states:
Safe, Connected & Socially Engaged (this is called “Ventral Vagal”)
Mobilized to Fight, Protect, Defend (this is the Sympathetic branch of our ANS)
Shutdown & Immobilized (this is called “Dorsal Vagal”)
Each of these states plays a significant role in how we feel, think, and act.
The critical insight for leaders and teams is that we don’t choose our nervous system state consciously—it’s chosen for us, based on a term called ‘neuroception’, which is the unconscious (think preconscious) detection of safety or threat in three specific environments:
Our External World: the physical space and surroundings we are in
Our Interal World: the feedback from all of our internal organs as well as our internal narratives and stories (mindset).
Our Relationships: how we feel and perceive those we are in relationship with (this is also called “the inbetween”)
Mismatch: Performance Demands vs. Nervous System Reality
One of the primary sources of burnout and performance breakdown is the mismatch between our internal state and the external expectations placed upon us, either by ourselves, others or the environment we’re in.
For example:
An athlete arrives for a high-stakes game after back-to-back travel days, with little sleep and a constant state of high stress mentally and emotionally. This athlete may feel on the verge of a shutdown, while externally, they are expected to be energized, sharp, positive, and ready.
An executive is overwhelmed with too many priorities and challenges, often caught in a mobilized sympathetic state—racing thoughts, anxiety, worries about team members and pressure to deliver. Yet they are expected to show up with empathy, compassion, poise, and grounded decision-making.
This dissonance between expectations and lived reality is not a result of a lack of effort or willpower. It’s a physiological impossibility. Meaning we cannot truly rise to the occasion in our most optimal state if we don’t first acknowledge our nervous system state and meet the body where it is. Before we can shift to optimal performance or recovery, the nervous system must be acknowledged and supported where it is.
This is where the relationship with our nervous system and our bodily state begins…
Meeting Our Body Where It Is
The relationship with our nervous system starts with curious, non-judgmental observation. Taking a breath, and then a moment to ask ourselves:
“Where is my system at right now?”
Am I anxious, fidgety, over-stimulated?
Do I feel like I need to fight? To run away and flee?
Am I numb, heavy, or withdrawn?
Do I feel like I want to crawl into a cave and be alone?
Am I grounded, alert, and connected?
Do I feel at peace, content, and fully able to relax?
Once identified, the task isn’t to “fix” the state, but to meet it with openness, acceptance, self-compassion, and curiosity.
🧠 Trying to “think” our way out of a state of collapse or sympathetic mobilization reinforces the body’s sense of threat. Instead, we must partner with our body and system, rather than trying to override it.
When You Observe Yourself in Shutdown or Collapse
This state may feel like:
Numbness
Disengagement
Exhaustion
Wanting to hide, avoid, or withdraw
Depression
The Cave
Start Here:
Identify and create a Safe Physical Container
Reflect on what it would feel like to be in a safe and comforting space.
Consider the lighting (dim, soft lighting) the clothes you’re wearing (comfy clothing my feel good) and the sounds around you (soothing or calming music or nature sounds). These details may seem trivial but they are exactly the small steps our nervous system needs to begin to feel safe where it is.
If it feels safe to do so, incorporate some nature into your space, such as plants or natural light (it may feel like even this is too much in a shutdown state, and that is OK - remember, meet your body where it is)
Can you nourish your system with a warm cup of tea or something healthy and comforting to eat?
It may feel good to reduce sensory input and stimulation (screens, devices, distractions).
Respect the Stillness
See if you can find a moment of rest without judgment or story.
In this moment, it may be beneficial to practice gratitude and appreciation for the simplest things in your life.
If you feel ready, playing music that evokes calm, warmth, and appreciation is a great start.
Incorporate Micro-Movements
When you’re ready, try incorporating some gentle movement into the body in your safe space.
Movement of the wrists, arms, legs, and hips (think wrist rotations and hip circles).
Stretching overhead and even tapping part of your body can feel good (chest, shoulders, back, belly, sides).
Connect to your breath: take relaxed and intentional inhales, and long, slow exhales.
Stay Anchored in Safety as You Increase Mobilization
As you start to feel safe and connected with more movement, continue pulling this thread.
Perhaps getting outside and going for a walk in nature - connect your bare feet to the earth, feel the cool grass on your skin.
It may feel good to connect with a loved one for some meaningful time together.
Contrast therapy such as sauna & cold plunging may feel good either alone or with trusted others.
Through this exercise, we're meeting and respecting the body where it is (in shutdown), honoring what it needs (quiet, alone, stillness, soothing sounds, and lights), and then, only when we’re ready, incorporating safe movement and mobilization back into the system. This helps reconnect our nervous system to the sympathetic pathway, allowing us to emerge from “the cave” and begin our journey back to healing, growth, and restoration (our ventral vagal state).
When You Observe Yourself in Fight or Flight (Sympathetic Mobilization)
This state may feel like:
Racing thoughts
Restlessness or panic
Overwhelm and irritability
Physical agitation
Anxiety or rumination
Bubbling with anger, frustration or resentment
Meet the Energy, Then Guide It:
Move with Intensity and Purpose
It may feel good to bring explosive movement to your body with jumping, shaking your limbs, jumping jacks or a brisk walk or run. You are matching your physical state to the mobilized sympathetic nervous system.
If this movement feels good, then stay with it. Begin to feel yourself channeling and focusing the anxious and scattered energy in your body.
Progressive Breathwork
After meeting the body where it is with movement and energy that feels good, start to notice your breath.
First, observe what your breath is doing. It may be shallow and fast. See if you can find a pace and rhythm with the breath that feels good. To start, try doing 20 breaths, where you breathe in for a count of 4 and breathe out for a count of 2. If that feels good, you could extend your exhale to four seconds, and eventually work in some breath holds at the bottom and top of your inhales and exhales.
As you continue to mobilize your body and bring your attention to your breath, you may notice that you can start to slow things down. Lengthen your exhale, and consider shifting from a run to a walk, or from energized movement like jumping to swaying (reconnecting with flow).
Reflect, Shift Perspective, and Anchor
As you feel your energy, movements, and breath softening, begin paying attention to your external surroundings. What do you notice around you? What can you appreciate in the nature that surrounds you? What smells or sensations do you notice?
Perhaps you then shift your perspective to your inner landscape. What are you grateful for in life right now? If you could bring a person, place or thing to mind that fills you with happiness, what would it be?
Bring that picture of gratitude to mind, and then perhaps connect with a breath where you place a hand on your chest and breathe deeply into your heart.
Through these exercises, we meet and respect the body where it is. Full of mobilized fight or flight energy. We can then begin to match our movements and our breath with this energy; we can channel the energy away from anxiety, rumination, anger, and frustration into productive movement and breath. Once we’ve established this connection with our mobilized system, we can begin to introduce cues of safety and relaxation through breath slowly, awareness of our internal world, and gratitude and appreciation within.
From Regulation to Readiness: Priming for Performance
Once you've shifted out of shutdown or fight or flight, you can begin to partner with your system to prime for performance:
Slow Breath + Intention = Coherence
Heart-brain coherence is achieved when breathing at 5–6 breaths per minute with feelings of appreciation or care (HeartMath Institute research). 1-minute heart-focused breath soundtrack here.
You can begin to visualize yourself in a state of flow for the upcoming performance event.
Small Wins Build Momentum
Don’t leap to high-stakes performance immediately
Look for micro-successes: a clear thought, a smooth interaction, a 10-minute focus burst.
Take a moment to pause and appreciate this small window of performance before diving back in.
Prepare for your Performance Bursts & Recovery Windows
Tune into your day: when do you need to ramp up for performance? When can you access a recovery window?
Schedule specific recovery windows after performance peaks
Post-Performance Recalibration
After a big output (presentation, training, meeting), intentionally return to safety and connection: restorative movement, solitude, nature, breath.
Take a moment of gratitude, appreciation and journaling to document your learnings & accomplishments.
This reminds the nervous system that it can quickly and efficiently find it’s way back to healing, growth, and restoration after a big peak performance (positive mobilization) event.
Reflection Questions for Leaders and High-Performance Teams
How would I describe my internal (nervous system) state right now?
What does my nervous system need right now to feel safe and connected?
Do I recognize the signs of shutdown or mobilization in my body or emotional state?
Have I ever noticed that my internal state doesn't match the external demands or expectations?
What rituals or environments help me reconnect with safety and connection?
Am I honoring my recovery windows as much as my performance windows?
How can I design my day/week with intentional peaks and intentional rest?
When do I feel most alive, grounded, and capable—and what gets me there?
Closing Thought
Peak performance doesn’t come from pushing harder—it comes from building an attuned, adaptable and resilient relationship with our nervous system and inner physiology.
By learning to observe and attune to your nervous system, meet your body where it is with acceptance, and begin giving it what it needs to reconnect with your current state and then increase cues of safety and connection, we not only unlock sustainable success but reclaim a sense of agency, resilience, and presence in every part of your life.
References
Porges, S. W. (2007). The Polyvagal Theory: New insights into adaptive reactions of the autonomic nervous system. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 74(Suppl 1), S1–S10.
McCraty, R., & Childre, D. (2010). Coherence: Bridging Personal, Social, and Global Health. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.
Zaccaro, A., et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown.
Streeter, C. C., et al. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical Hypotheses.
Ulrich, R. S. (1991). Effects of health facility interior design on wellness: Theory and research. Journal of Health Care Interior Design.
Kini, P., et al. (2016). The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity. NeuroImage.
