The Forgotten Pillar of Health: Recovery & Stress Management
If I were to ask you what matters most for fat loss, muscle building, and overall health, what would you say? Nutrition Exercise?
Perhaps you’d even mention recovery or stress management. For me, recovery and lifestyle are the forgotten pillars of health and fitness. While the industry focuses on diets and workouts, there’s a deeper concern that must be addressed to ensure sustained progress.
Why is Recovery & Stress Management So Important?
Stress affects your progress in many ways:
- Increased hunger and cravings for calorie-dense foods
- Poor energy and performance
- Poor sleep and recovery (leading to even more stress)
- Poor digestion, leading to symptoms like gas and bloating, and decreased nutrient absorption
- Reduced cardiovascular health and fitness
Stress comes in many forms: physical, emotional, and mental. The decisions you make regarding exercise and nutrition can either alleviate or worsen these stressors. Sometimes, doing more exercise or eating less (or more) isn’t the solution. What’s most important is aligning your approach with your current circumstances, not swinging between extremes.
The Root of Your Current Body Composition
Your current body composition and health are the result of your past behaviors. To achieve sustained progress, you must reflect on those behaviors, understand what causes them, and recognize potential stressors that need to be removed.
When this self-reflection is missed, people often revert to past behaviors during times of high stress. Moving forward patiently and addressing the physical and emotional cues that drive these behaviors will be essential for long-term success.
A Common Problem Among Stressed Individuals
A frequent issue I observe in highly stressed individuals is the loss of personal time. Many of us view “selfishness” negatively, but how can putting the “self” first be wrong?
At times, you must prioritize yourself to reset and recharge. Whether through exercise, relaxation, meditation, nature walks, or reading, taking time for yourself is crucial for maintaining balance.
The Reality of Stress
You will always be busy.
You will always experience stress.
Therefore, it’s essential to have strategies in place to down-regulate your stress and return to a “rest and digest” state, particularly if you aim to improve your health and fitness.
A Simple Strategy: Planning Time for Yourself
If you’re someone who experiences high stress, you likely prioritize others—family, work—above yourself. Often, this happens subconsciously, without much thought. But I challenge you to reconsider this mindset.
If you’re only functioning at 70%, your ability to give your best to family, work, and yourself will be compromised.
Plan time for yourself by using a planner or journal. Take a moment at the beginning of your week or in the evening to schedule time for yourself and your family. This simple act can help you separate work stress from the parts of life you enjoy.
Sadly, many people I encounter fail to plan for personal time, and as a result, it’s often lost when the days get busier than expected.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” — Samuel Smiles
Final Thoughts
The first strategy for reducing stress is to reclaim your time—time that you can use to relax and unwind. I hope this article encourages you to reflect on how you currently manage your time and stress.
If you’d like to discuss stress management further, feel free to reach out via:
- Instagram: @harryjonescoaching
- Email: harryjones_coaching@outlook.com
