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Welcome!
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Every week, we dive into research studies that caught my eye. This week we look at everything from the impact of sleep on recovery, to motivation and striving, to group hierarchies and battles for status. Let's get into the science!

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And just as a heads up, my book, Do Hard Things, is at it's lowest price ever. The hardcover is only $12, that's 59% off (as of this sending!) I've seen seen it this low, so no clue why it is or how long it will last. Grab a copy for yourself or as a gift to someone who needs to hear the message.
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On to the show!

-Steve​

​The Dark Side of Striving: Are You Striving Insecurely?​

What they found: We champion striving. To be better, to achieve our goal, to win the game. But what matters more is where that striving is directed. In this study, researchers looked at the not so good kind of striving, the insecure variety. It's when striving is fear based. When we are trying to avoid rejection or failure. They found that insecure striving was associated with validation-seeking, unfavorable social comparison, submissiveness, and higher depression/anxiety. In fact, the researchers suggest that this pull towards insecure striving may be one of the reasons for the rise of depression in young adults.

So What? More than ever, it's easy to fall down the trap of insecure striving. We have such high pressure to measure up against...well, just about everybody. And that pressure can drive us mad. Just look around Instagram or Tiktok. How many influencers or gurus are insecure strivers, reaching for validation? Or how many coaches embrace what basketball coach Rick Pitino recently said, "When we lose, I f***ing hate the world....I want to kill myself and die of frost bite." That type of incessant hatred of losing often comes from insecure striving. What this research shows is that such insecure striving is linked with poor mental and physical health outcomes. In a world that pushes us to measure up and constantly compare, we need to make sure that our striving is grounded. That it pushes us towards intrinsic motivation, not extrinsic. That we balance out the want to do our best, with acceptance and self-compassion.

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​To Enhance Recovery: Sleep or Aerobic Activity?​

What they found: Sleep is great. It's one of the best performance enhancers. That's why there are so many companies pushing to quantify it. But, is it the best way to enhance recovery in the short run? In this study, researchers compared sleep versus easy aerobic activity (Think: an easy jog or bike ride for an athlete), in rugby athletes. They found that sleep extension had a faster recovery in cognitive performance, but aerobic activity led to quicker neuromuscular functionand autonomic recovery.

So What? It's important to note that this was a small study looking at a single nights sleep. But it does provide something novel and useful. If you need to get ready for game or big performance, of course you should prioritize sleep, but you shouldn't neglect some easy aerobic exercise. Perhaps this is the reason why so many runners go for an easy shakeout jog the morning before a race?

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​Why Don't You Follow Me? NBA Edition​

What they found: This was a very interesting study that looked at status in NBA players, and the impact it had on their performance and connection to teammates. In the study, they used whether teammates followed one another on social media as a proxy for connection. What did they find? All-Star players on losing NBA teams are less likely to follow their teammates on Twitter compared to All-Stars on successful teams. The same effect was not seen in non-all star players. What does this mean? Well, one theory posited by the researchers is that when you are a star on a poorly performing team, you try to create some distance between you and the rest. You are the top dog, they are just dragging you down. You amplify your individual performance, so that the team performance doesn't take away from your perceived status.

So What? This study shows that people may distance themselves from unsuccessful groups to avoid status loss. For star performers, reputation hinges on organizational performance. When teams flounder, it seems high-status members "jump ship" on social media to preserve their personal brand. It highlights how we strategically manage associations to maintain status. People don't just passively accept high or low status - they react to protect it. It's not just NBA stars that do this. We all do. Think about your teams—both sports and workplace— and how you turn the dial up and down on your connection to the group, depending on how well the team is doing. It's status protection. Now, the good thing is, other research shows us that we can get status in multiple ways. It's not just wins or outcomes. In The Status Game, writer Will Storr outlined that we can achieve status in three ways: dominance, competence, and virtue. We get to decide what game we are playing, what status we're incentivizing. Too often, when we emphasize dominance to a high degree, we end up like the NBA star on a losing team, distancing ourselves from others to save our face.

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​Hobbies can Help Your Work...as long as they are a bit different!​

What they found: We need hobbies. No, not just those of us who are retired, or might want to fill some time; all of us. There's a reason that research finds that Nobel prize winning scientists tend to have more hobbies than those who are good but not quite great scientists. In this study, they researchers looked at how leisure activity impacts our work. What they found is that leisure activity boosts work self-efficacy, potentially helping us perform better in our day jobs. But there was an important caveat. It wasn't just about having a hobby, the impact of workplace self-efficacy was highest when people took their hobby serious and it was different enough from their actual work. In other words, if their hobby was too similar to their work, it actually hurt work self-efficacy.

So What? Common advice tells us to get obsessed about something to be great at it. Be the football coach who only loves all things football. Well...research might point us in another direction. In this case, we need activities and hobbies that are different. Activities that allow us to turn our brains away from whatever it is we do during our day job. Diversify your experiences and pursuits.

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​Learning to Let Go of Work: The Power of Psychological Detachment​

What they found: We've all experienced it. Your boss or co-workers are rude or mean to you. That experience gets stuck in your mind, circling around over and over. It impacts you, and your work performance. In this study, researchers evaluated the impact of incivility in the workplace, and what we can do about it. They found that incivility was linked to increased negative rumination, which in turn was linked to poorer sleep. Meaning that, when people treat you like trash at work, it likely impacts your sleep. More importantly, the researchers found that psychological detachment from work is a potential cure. It weakens the impact of the rumination, allowing you to let go, and get some sleep.

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​So What? This type of experience isn't limited to work. We tend to hold on to negative experiences or failures. We can't sleep after the tough loss, or we can't let go the personal critique at the office. That negative thought grows in power and turns into rumination, and before we know it, it's not only impacted our sleep, and potentially our performance. What this research shows is that we need to develop ways to detach from work. For some of us, that could be socializing with friends. For others, I debrief protocol that involves writing down what we want to leave behind and what we want to take forward, so that we can stop thinking about it. For many of us, it means developing hobbies, and ways to separate our work life and our home life. Whatever the strategy is, we need to develop ways to create a bit of space, or else, insomnia and rumination may await!.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to read my random musings on the latest science and research. Expect more of the same, the 2nd Sunday of every month. If you found this interesting, consider sharing this e-mail with a friend. And if you are that friend reading this message, sign up to get it monthly.

And let's keep the feedback coming! If you'd like to understand what the research says on a topic, send your suggestions my way. Who knows, it might be my next deep dive down the rabbit hole.

All the best,

​Steve​

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