@bkolden things I do for stress other than trying not to eat potato chips, is I listen to Vagus nerve music while reading at night.
I try some meditation. I also try and shut screens off by 9:30pm.
Longer walks with my dog with no ear buds. Living in the city there is always noise but try to go during quieter times. Or a walk in nature.
My morning commute through the park is always nice. Even though it’s short!
Thanks so much @Gossimrr that is very helpful!!
I don’t know that there is an article, but generally, we are talking about the body going through its processes to return to homeostasis, repair tissues, and adapt following stress from exercise/training. Key elements include:
If the “assault” on the body and nervous system continues without a break, allowing time for adequate recovery, we continue to feel like 
. At best we plateau in performance, at worse we get sick, injured, or overtrained.
Having said all that, I had situations during a recovery week that I felt like garbage until the very last minute, and then BAM, the body just snapped out of it.
Take inventory of all the things that are adding stress to your days and/or could be getting in the way of recovery. Often times writing things down or having a diary helps, as we tend to get too much in our heads sometimes.
Hope this helps.
Here is where @Gossimrr 's comments are spot on: you have to take time away to have breaks, even if they are short. No one can do this for you, and if you wait, no one will come give you permission to do it. You just have to take charge and do it, and say no, without the fear of upsetting someone.
In my personal efforts to let go of things, I was going through a list of things I do every day or almost every day… and asked myself: if I were to be kidnapped by aliens tomorrow, would the people involved be able to go on without my help? Well, yep. Everyone would. Literally everyone. Turns out the tasks that I do and most of my responsibilities are completely replaceable.
And lastly, when we step back… people step up. Let some fires burn 
Wow i wish i could say this works for my job - if people did step up i would be off the project from he:ice_hockey:
instead of being on it for 5+yrs - sadly still not happening so I’m juggling doing just enough without doing it all, a work in progress for sure
BUT
I’m getting better at taking time for me and what I need, whether its getting my WOs in, running errands or just sitting and vegging out, and while the balance still has room to improve, i am way less stressed than i was a year ago
One thing i realized this recovery week was that i needed it more than i thought i did going in and as part of that, i needed to give myself the grace to follow the plan and not overdo it (too much) and let the recovery settle in
@Coach_Theia Thank you for your words about physiology. This was exactly what I was looking for. I have copied and saved to review again in the future. Thank you for your hard work to put this together. Thank you also for your comments about stress management. Definitely a work in progress. Thank you @Gossimrr and @PaleGail for your insights and thoughts.
@bkolden I know you had a tough recovery week, I hope you are feeling better! There is always a point during recovery week when I feel like poo, usually by the second workout. I used to freak out about how hard it felt, that something was wrong, but @Coach_Theia mentioned once long ago that it meant my body was actually recovering and it was good. Generally by Saturday I feel strong and full of energy. This last recovery week that was not the case, I was still tired but I had also had a really stressful week at work following a glorious 2-week vacation. I’ve learned to expect and be ok with the blahs during recovery week and give myself grace and permission to feel yuck and to do less overall.
This last year I’ve also gotten better at the mental aspects of recovery. James and I had been regularly doing short meditations every evening for quite awhile, but we decided to up our game and last spring began attending a nearby Zen Buddhist Thursday night sangha. This means I no longer do zwift free rides on Thursday nights and I was worried I would lose fitness. But I haven’t. I actually feel better and stronger overall because I allow myself a break from zwift–I am still on the bike that day just bike commuting instead of adding zwift miles. And being able to spend 90 minutes once a week focusing on my mental and spiritual well being leaves me feeling more resilient and able to meet the challenges of training on the other days.
I’m learning that recovery is a continuous and ongoing process and I can do various things to support that on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis without messing up my training and losing fitness like I had feared for so long. You will find a balance Barb that works for you. Do what feels right and trust that it will all be ok. 
Stefanie, that is so cool that you prioritized meditation and have experienced the rewards. I used to have a regular meditation practice, but fell off and haven’t found my way back just yet. You’re inspiring me!
I also made a decision to follow my own advice and made an appointment to see the acupuncturist I haven’t seen for a good, long while. I know not everyone believes in acu, but it’s worked wonders for my sleep and moods in the past. So I’m returning this week.
I was feeling pretty down in the dumps yesterday because I couldn’t do the workout due to my lower back pain. I felt frustrated that I’d managed to injure myself in only the first weeks of training. I listened to my body though and did a super-easy, short spin because easy movement loosens the tightness.
This morning, my back felt better. Also, recognizing that it loosens as the day goes on, I cycled later than usual and I felt good! I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to do the workout tomorrow.
Thanks @Stefanie yes this recovery week was really humbling. Today I am still feeling a bit strange but it’s time to get back to work. I appreciate your experience and advice last week as well as @Coach_Theia and @Gossimrr . I had 2 teammates confirm that recovery week blahs are real and should be celebrated as a sign of good recovery! lol. Meditation can be very helpful and comes in many forms. For me as a Christian I meditate on scripture and pray. I designate Sunday as my rest day due to church activities.
@laurasibson I know back pain can be a black box. Do you know what is the main cause of our pain and what have you tried so far?
Thanks for asking @Coach_Theia. I’m unsure of the cause (which is part of why I felt so frustrated on Sunday), but it truly does feel much better. I have a slipped disc which sometimes causes sciatic issues. This doesn’t feel like that, though. This feels more like tightness. Like I can’t bend over in the morning, but it loosens through the day.
Have you worked with a good physical therapist? I see you do strength training - does that include lifting and if so, do you work your posterior chain? How about a professional bike fit?
I was diagnosed with herniated discs in my lumbar spine in my late 20s and degenerated discs (which is really aging and we all have them) some 10 years later in the lumbar spine and neck. It used to hurt to even just stand in line and during walks after a little while. The spine doc back then said it was going to “get much worse if you get pregnant”. Of course I got pregnant twice and gained 50 lbs each time.
Back then, I had a lot of pain, and knew nothing about strength training. My physical activities were cardio classes at the gym and yoga. For some 10 years I was obsessed with yoga, to the point of practicing daily until I realized yoga was not helping my back… and I was getting injured all the time.
Surprisingly, disc issues (unless pressing against the nerve- but even then this can be managed) are not typically the cause of back pain. Back pain is commonly caused by instability of the joints and weakness in the supporting muscles of the spine, core (to which the core is a part of), and hips/glutes.
“Tightness” or stiffness is the ultimate sign of joint instability. The stronger muscles around the affected joint(s) are desperately trying to compensate for the weak ones and make the joint(s) stable. Stretching only makes it worse, because it loosens up the joints even more (even though it brings a brief relief). My back is 100% pain free as long as I continue with my strength training.
It’s tough because doctors only look at the images and tell you to rest or take anti-inflammatories. And it’s very hard to find a good PT. I only had success with strength.
My husband has a very similar story and he went as far as having 2 procedures to cauterize the nerves in his low back. The pain always came back. He finally found a strength training routine that works for him and his pain is minimal and very manageable now.
@Coach_Theia I’d be very interested to learn more about your strength routine as I’ve struggled to identify strength exercises to support back strength while not straining the back. For example, a PT told me to never do dead lifts or kettle bell swings.
I’m happy to schedule a call with you, if that would make more sense.
sounds like you need to find another PT. I do plenty of those and deadlift 150% of my body weight. I will DM you.
