Hey Reader,
Ever noticed how tough workouts don’t make you stronger in the moment?
I mean, you’re pushing your limits, but the strength, growth, and resilience happen afterward, in recovery, right?
This principle doesn’t apply to fitness alone; it works the same way in our lives and business.
In today’s issue, we’ll discuss how little pauses here and there can unlock your next level.
💢 Don’t skip the recovery
When I was doing the 75Hard and Live Hard program, I had a lot to do.
Two workouts a day, a couple of compulsory tasks, work, family, and more.
I was sleeping less, but surprisingly, I was sleeping well and getting tons done during the day.
But now that I’ve completed all 4 phases of 75Hard, I’m intentionally shutting things off earlier in the evening and getting more sleep.
I noticed something…
I feel sharper, clearer, and stronger now.
And it made me realize stress only works if you rest.
Just like when you lift weights or do a big workout, your muscles break down during the workout.
The goal is to get stronger, right? But you don’t actually get stronger right then. Your body rebuilds when you rest.
So, I started thinking about my routines.
Am I really giving myself the downtime to rebuild and adapt?
Not just sleeping early, but taking breaks during the day too.
Same question goes to you.
Are you giving your mind, soul, and body recovery time to keep adapting?
🧠 Your body needs a breather
Elite performers love the high of productivity, dominating the day, and chasing goals that stretch them.
That’s really great.
But never skip recovery time.
Think of yourself like a muscle that breaks down into tiny tears and makes you sore when you stretch.
That’s actually what happens.
A long stretch can wear off your strength over time.
It can dim your sharpness and your creativity.
You may start to feel impatient or get irritable over small things.
You may even zone out in conversations that used to light you up.
You can still be very productive, and everything may appear normal, but your body is slowly screaming for recovery.
And if you don’t give in, you can start to feel less inspired and more reactive.
Gradually, this can dim your clarity, impact decision-making, and limit your ability to perform at your true potential.
So no, you haven’t lost your edge, and you’re not stuck.
That perceived underperformance could just mean that your mind, soul, and body need to recover from all the stress.
❤️ Rest is part of the work
Think about it:
We don’t grow in the effort, we grow in the response to the effort.
Stretch, rest, adapt.
When you start resting with as much purpose as you train and work, you access more of you.
Your gut, vision, power, clarity, strength.
You become physically and mentally stronger.
You wake up with more certainty in your next move.
Your mind is sharper, so you make sharper decisions from a deeper place of alignment.
You’re evolving, building resilience, and giving your body space to process and adapt.
And of course, you’re getting more quality things done in less time.
The goal is to keep getting better.
And better begins with recovery.
🤲 Rest, rest, & recover
If you only rest when you break down, then you’re not recovering, you’re actually just repairing.
And it can take much longer than you expect.
Here are 3 ways to intentionally include recovery into your schedule:
- Decide what recovery looks like for you. Maybe it’s a walk without your phone, a cold plunge, a hot bath, reading fiction, meditation, sleep, or just some peace and quiet. Doesn’t matter what it is. What matters is that your nervous system knows you’re not grinding anymore. That’s when the recovery starts.
- When shit hits the fan midday (and it does), don’t always try to power through. Take a few minutes to reset. Go outside, walk a block, stare into space, or do whatever breaks the cycle. You’ll come back sharper.
- Don’t waste your prime recovery hours at night troubleshooting tomorrow’s problems. You can write down a pressing challenge in a single sentence before bed, then shut everything off. Sleep is your subconscious processing that gives you fresh clarity by morning.
🎯 Are you recovering?
Are you really giving your body and mind the space they need to come back stronger?
The more powerful you become, the more precise your recovery needs to be.
So ask yourself, when was the last time you shut down early and just gave yourself space to rebuild?
Does your routine allow you to recover from stress?
Allow your body to rebuild.
Allow your motivation to replenish.
In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.”
With appreciation,
Huw
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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