Positive Pathway Workshop: Sleep, Stress, and Perfection

04/01/2026

I had the opportunity to talk about sleep, stress, and perfection for dancers at the Dance Institute of Washington. 

The slides below show how sleep, stress, and perfection can influence our performance.

Optimal Arousal

Our physiological and psychological energy level (arousal level) changes throughout a day, and different activities we engage in require different levels of energy.

A balanced or imbalanced relationship between the current energy level and the energy level required for the activity can indicate the performance outcome.

  • When your energy level is too low (i.e., hypoarousal), you may have difficulty focusing, slow responses, low motivation, and overall decreased processing efficiency.

  • When your energy level is too high (i.e., hyperarousal), you may experience narrow inflexible attention (e.g., obsession), increased impulsivity, feeling ill, body tension, and overall decreased processing efficiency.

  • When your energy level is the right amount for the activity, that is your optimal arousal level.

The Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning model (Woodcock et al., 2012) suggests that optimal level varies depending on the individual and the situation. Your optimal zone of arousal can be identified by tracking your physiological shifts and monitoring your internal experiences.

Download the Optimal Arousal Worksheet

Upon clicking the button above, you will be directed to payhip to download the worksheet.

How can we reach the optimal arousal level?

There are many contributing factors, yet I would focus on sleep, stress management, and self-compassion this time.


Sleep

Lack of sleep is associated with various health risks such as fatigue, headache, dizziness, weaknesses, lack of focus, limited self-control, learning difficulty, slowness, low metabolism, emotional reactivity, impulsivity, depression, anxiety, increased risk of injury, and others.

When you don't have enough sleep, you will have a higher chance of falling out of your optimal level.

Developing and maintaining your healthy sleep habit can be helpful.

Healthy Sleep Habits

  • Have a night time routine.

  • Manage screen time.

  • Be consistent (maintain circadian rhythm)

  • Set soothing sleep environment

    • Use your bed only for sleeping

    • Keep the bedroom dark, cool, and quiet during sleep time.


Stress

We experience stress when we perceive the excessing demands over resources or when our available energy level and the energy level required do not match. Coping is an effort to assess and address the demand-resource gap by modifying psychological and behavioral factors.

Coping tools to increase the energy level (shift from hypoarousal to optimal arousal) can be

  • Fast paced breathing

  • Exercising

  • Upbeat music

  • Visualization of an activation image

  • Self-encouragement

  • Energizing tapping

Coping tools to decrease energy level (shift from hyperarousal to optimal arousal) can be

  • Deep breathing

  • Progressive muscle relaxation

  • Visualization of a relaxing image

  • Meditation

  • Stretching

  • Relaxing music

  • Calming self-talk

  • Self-massage

  • Self-affirmation

  • Butterfly tapping

Sometimes, stress (e.g., pressure, expectation) can help us stay alert and get to our optimal arousal level, and some other times, stress can take us away from our optimal arousal level.

Facilitative and debilitative anxiety (Jones & Swain, 1995) suggests that a sense of control can help us see stress as a challenge rather than a threat and foster our performance.

Autonomy, Competence, and Belonging are identified as our basic psychological needs and associated with our motivation (Self-determination theory; Ryan & Deci, 2000).

  • We can exercise autonomy by focusing on what we can control and take charge, setting intention, and clarifying the action plan.
  • Competence can be practiced by using our strengths and acknowledging our accomplishments.
  • Belonging can be facilitated by reaching out to our support system, and asking for help.


Perfectionism

Perfectionism can consist of

  • Motivation for perfection (i.e., perfectionistic striving)

    • High personal standards

    • High external standards

  • Concerns of imperfection (i.e., perfectionistic concerns)

    • Negative self-appraisal

    • Fear of failure

    • Worries about negative feedback

Both motivation for perfection and concerns of imperfection can affect your ability to assess your energy level and the energy level required for the activity. You can misassess the resource-demand balance, experience stress, and fall out of your optimal arousal level.


Self-Compassion

Self-compassion can help you cope with perfection.

  • Self-kindness vs. Self-judgment

    • Be reasonable

  • Feelings of Common Humanity vs. Isolation

    • Validate your experience

  • Mindfulness vs. Overidentification

    • Be in the present moment

    • Be aware of your experience and surroundings

By practicing self-compassion regularly, you can be in your optimal arousal level more effectively.



Bibliography

Cleveland Clinic. (June 4, 2024). How much sleep kids need: Recommended hours by age. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/recommended-amount-of-sleep-for-children

Crowley, S. J. (n.d.). Adolescent sleep health. Sleep Research Society. https://www.sleepresearchsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Adolescent_Sleep_Health.pdf

The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. (October 1, 2021). Assess your sleep needs. https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/education-training/public-education/sleep-and-health-education-program/sleep-health-education-9

Horn, T. S., & Smith, A. L. (Eds.). (2019). Advances in sport and exercise psychology (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Jones, G., & Swain, A. (1995). Predispositions to Experience Debilitative and Facilitative Anxiety in Elite and Nonelite Performers. The Sport Psychologist, 9(2), 201-211. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.9.2.201

Ryan, R. M. & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68

Weinberg, R. S. & Gould, D. (2019). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics.

Woodcock, C., Cumming, J., Duda, J. L., & Sharp, L. (2012). Working within an Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning (IZOF) framework: Consultant practice and athlete reflections on refining emotion regulation skills. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 13(3), 291-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2011.11.011





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