What if STRESS isn’t the problem?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how the pressures from our culture make us feel like we’re supposed to eliminate stress entirely. Like the goal is to feel calm, balanced, and in control all the time.

But that’s not really how our bodies work (or how life goes for anyone). And honestly, it’s not even helpful.

Your body isn’t this fragile system made up of parts that wear out on a timeline. It’s constantly taking in information and responding to it. Every input: training, conversations, lack of sleep, your environment - it’s all just stimulus. Your body doesn’t label it as good or bad. It just adapts.

And that adaptation depends on how much stress you’re experiencing.

If things are too easy for too long, your body starts to decondition. You lose capacity. The things you used to handle well don’t feel as manageable anymore, not because something is wrong, but because you’ve stopped giving your system a reason to maintain that level.

On the other hand, when you’re exposed to things that are challenging (APPROPRIATELY) challenging) your system rises to meet it. That’s where growth happens. That’s where capacity expands.

But there’s also a point where it tips. When the stress coming in is more than what you can currently handle, that’s when you start to see breakdown - whether that’s injury, burnout, or just feeling off.

So it’s not about avoiding stress. It’s about understanding where you are in relation to it.

And one thing I keep coming back to is that stress isn’t just training. It’s everything. Your sleep, your relationships, your work, your environment, your finances - all of it contributes to what you can handle in a given moment.

Which means your approach can’t be one-dimensional.

Some days, it might make sense to push. Other days, it might make more sense to pull back a little. Not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re paying attention.

Because staying in what’s comfortable all the time isn’t neutral. Over time, it actually shrinks what you’re able to tolerate.

That’s not really what any of us are after.

I’d be curious for you to reflect on where you’re at right now: does it feel like things have been too much, not enough, or somewhere in the middle?

That awareness alone can serve you a LOT.

Cheers!
Glenn