When the body is stressed, hormones and energy levels (among other things including being prone to injury and sickness) get way out of wack. There are several natural and normal causes for stress on the body, which we of course have to recover from. This is why we need to eat food (especially PRO) so we can recover from our daily wear and tear physically, mentally, and emotionally, as well as hormonal. General causes of stress and protocols to improve recovery and reduce stress are listed below.
When we talk about “Stress vs Recovery”, we like to draw things up into a T-Chart. First, let’s look at all of the ways in which stress can be caused on our bodies:
Now, the above listed things are general, and there could be more. But you get the point. Now, let’s think about all of the different options and methods of recovery. Do you know what they are? Hint hint… they’re the opposite of all of the stressors! See below:
These are just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the idea. Here’s the important thing- know that you could be WAY less stressed by adjusting the way you’re going about doing the things you already do! Does everything need to be on the “recovery” side of things? Definitely not, because that doesn’t allow for life! We’re going to go through breakups, have kids, start new jobs and lose jobs, etc… life happens! But, there’s a big difference between times of crisis and normal “peace time”.
We have found that many people conflate the two, and get lost.
On the next page are strategies and real protocols you can do to lower your stress and improve your recovery:
