Stress is bloody good!

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The first of June marks the Meteorological start of winter. The winter Solstice is June 21st (the shortest day of the year).
It's colder, wet, Wednesday and there's a one on the calendar, so my OCD brain says it's winter today. 
Let's get on with winter stress. 
Stress gets a bad rap. Generally because we have become a bunch of snowflakes riding unicorns.

Should we just keep increasing the planets population with a dis-regard for quality over quantity?
I set up a specific health facility with the ethos of "Quality over Quantity". My banter concerning the entire screwed up fitness industry is another blog. (stay tuned for that one. you'll need something to hold onto)

People are getting weak because they don't know how to get stressed on time, in control, for a purpose higher than an uncontrolled ego. 
You know this, but saying it will reinforce the story. "It's all about balance"
Quality balance for the purpose of your life (not anybody else). If you hate mediocre, and you haven't worked out a way to push a life of purpose and passion, then i guarantee your stress volume control will make you suffer.
Each day is a chance to play, practice and create. 
So let me add the word of the day: HORMESIS
In my language it means "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"
What in a large dose would definitely do harm, applied in a smaller dose will produce a stress that activates a strong evolutionary system of survival. I'll call it a  "RESILIENCE RESPONSE"
So what if we say there are many daily stressors that are out of our control. We can put those in a box and label it "that's life". Now look at all of the stressors that you could gain control over. 
To name a few:
Food, movement, boredom, body temperature. 
Too much or not enough with some form of these could cause extreme stress if not death!
So if we go back to the snowflake riding the unicorn. Eat well enough, move a little, keep busy enough and don't forget your slippers today.
How do we move beyond mediocrity?
This is entirely a personal decision and action steps list.
I enjoy following famous bio-hackers and passionate scientist researchers looking for fun modern day ways to tap into an ancient survival mechanism in the human body and mix it with a technology hack.

I can go through the four stressors and add my personal hack for today. 
Food:
Just a 16 hour fast today. Why? #1 Discipline, #2 Controls calories for the day #3 A minor stress that gives me control over body demands based more on ancient physiology rather than today's needs.
Lots of vegetables of many varieties: #1 plant phytochemicals #2 fibre #3 feed the gut microbiome.

Movement:
A 10 minute session on the gymnastics rings.Why? #1 It's bloody fun! #2 A stress and damage to specific muscles that must adapt and become stronger #3 Coming off a weekend of heavy training, i only require a 10 minute muscle stress today in order to maximize recovery.

Boredom: 
Stress the brain- Write this blog, designing a home made basketball system, read a chapter of a book, learn a new word and watch the chase tonight. 

Body temperature:
A cold dip in the pool at 8 degrees. Why? #1 First day of winter challenge- #2 Cold shock protein activation to trigger body repair. #3 Gain control over my immune system and temperature change tolerance. 
The cold dip will follow my Wim Hof breathing practice. 

I decide to control these stressors by being organised, making it fun and challenging, and attaching them to the purpose of living a healthy and meaningful life. 

If you learn to control your stress, it can't control you!


Enjoy winter humans. 











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