The Anti-Stress Protocol:
Lifestyle Habits
This guide is part of our 3-part series designed to help you eliminate stress, reduce inflammation, and speed up recovery time from living a high performance lifestyle.
Implementing these changes all at once can be overwhelming. Start with a few that resonate most with you and gradually incorporate more over time.
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Disclaimer: The information provided below is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products listed below are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition. Individual results may vary.
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Table of Contents
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Circadian Rhythm Optimization
The circadian rhythm, a 24-hour cycle, is strongly influenced by two key hormones: cortisol and melatonin.
Cortisol, often called the ‘stress hormone,’ peaks in the early morning, boosting alertness by increasing blood sugar, supporting metabolism, and enhancing cognitive function.
On the other hand, melatonin, nicknamed the "sleep hormone," begins to rise in the evening as darkness falls, preparing our bodies for rest by lowering body temperature and inducing drowsiness.
In a healthy person, cortisol and melatonin typically follow an inverse pattern, with cortisol peaking in the morning and melatonin rising at night. However, chronic stress can severely disrupt this delicate balance, causing irregular cortisol spikes throughout the day and suppressing melatonin production.
This disruption can lead to a cascade of health issues, from insomnia and fatigue to more serious long-term health consequences.
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Cortisol promotes wakefulness while melatonin promotes sleep. The precise timing can vary between individuals and can be affected by factors like light exposure, stress, and sleep schedule.
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Recommendations: To support your circadian rhythm, maintain a consistent sleep schedule, limit blue light exposure at night, get morning sunlight, and manage stress through relaxation techniques. These optimizations will be covered more in other parts of the Anti-Stress Protocol.
Work Schedule
To allow cortisol levels to naturally decline in the evening, try to finish your most demanding cognitive tasks earlier in the day. Our cognitive abilities and stress responses are closely tied to our circadian rhythms. Cortisol levels naturally peak in the morning and gradually decline throughout the day, preparing our bodies for rest in the evening.
By aligning your most challenging work with your body's natural rhythms, you can optimize your productivity while minimizing stress.
Recommendations: Aim to finish all heavy cognitive work by 3 pm. Structure your day to tackle the most challenging and important tasks in the morning when your cortisol levels and alertness are naturally higher. Use the afternoon for less demanding tasks - or, just spend the afternoon relaxing. Create a consistent daily schedule that aligns with this pattern to help train your body and mind.
Be mindful of decision fatigue – try to make important decisions earlier in the day when your mental resources are fresh. Consider using productivity techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to maintain focus during your peak cognitive hours.
Sleep Schedule
A regular sleep schedule is crucial for managing stress and maintaining overall health. Sleep plays a vital role in stress recovery, memory consolidation, and emotional regulation. Inconsistent sleep patterns can disrupt your circadian rhythm, leading to increased cortisol production and heightened stress levels.
Recommendations: Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. Aim to be asleep at least 7.5 hours, with an additional 30 minutes dedicated to laying in bed to fall asleep.
Dedicate an entire hour before bedtime to relaxing activities. This could include reading, gentle stretching, or meditation.
Create a sleep-friendly environment: keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed due to their blue light emission, which can interfere with melatonin production. Alternatively, consider wearing blue light blocking glasses if you must use a screen close to bed.
Be mindful of your caffeine and alcohol intake, especially in the afternoon, as these can interfere with sleep quality.​
Sunlight
Sunlight exposure, especially in the morning, helps to reset your body's internal clock. This can lead to a better mood, increased alertness during the day, and improved sleep quality at night.
Morning light exposure also stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in mood regulation and can help combat stress and depression.
Recommendations: Aim to get 10-30 minutes of daily sunlight exposure in the morning (before 10 AM), midday, and before sunset. If possible, combine this with light exercise like walking.
Even on cloudy days, outdoor light is much brighter than indoor lighting and can still be beneficial. If getting outside is challenging due to your schedule or climate, consider using a light therapy lamp that mimics natural sunlight.
Rest Days
Taking time to fully disconnect from work is essential for stress management. Constant work without adequate rest can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and increased stress levels.
A full day of rest allows your mind and body to recover, leading to improved focus, creativity, and problem-solving abilities when you return to work. It also provides an opportunity to engage in personal activities and relationships, contributing to a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Recommendations: Schedule at least one full rest day per week with zero business-related work. Use this time for relaxation and personal activities. Plan your rest days in advance and treat it as a non-negotiable commitment to yourself.
Do things that you find rejuvenating, whether that's spending time with family, pursuing a hobby, or simply allowing yourself to do nothing. Practice setting boundaries – inform your team or clients about your time off to manage expectations.
Use technology to support your rest day, such as setting automatic email responses or using app blockers to prevent access to work-related applications. Remember, rest is not just the absence of work, but active engagement in restorative activities.
Daily Dose of Fun
Engaging in activities you enjoy can help reduce stress and increase overall life satisfaction. Fun can activate the reward centers in your brain, releasing feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. This not only counteracts the effects of stress but also improves mood, creativity, and cognitive function.
Regular enjoyable activities can provide a sense of balance and fulfillment, making you more resilient to stress when it does occur.
Recommendations: Schedule at least 1-2 hours each day for an activity you love, whether it's playing games, sports, or watching a movie. Treat this time as non-negotiable, just like any other appointment.
Consider creating a "fun menu" – a list of activities you enjoy, categorized by the amount of time they take. This makes it easier to fit fun activities into your schedule, no matter how busy you are. Remember, the goal is to be fully present during these activities, so try to engage in them mindfully without multitasking.
Journaling and Task Management
Journaling provides an outlet for processing emotions and experiences, helping to clear your mind and reduce mental clutter. It can also enhance self-awareness, allowing you to identify patterns in your thoughts and behaviors that may be contributing to stress.
Task management, on the other hand, help externalize your to-do list, reducing the need to remember everything you must do. This can lead to a greater sense of control and reduced anxiety about forgetting important tasks.
Recommendations: Implement a daily journaling practice and use tools like brain dumps to externalize your thoughts and tasks. Review and organize these dumps to close “open loops" in your mind.
Set aside 10-15 minutes each day for journaling. Use prompts if you're unsure what to write about - for example, listing three things you're grateful for, or reflecting on your main priorities for the day.
For task management, choose a system that works for you, whether it's a digital tool like TickTick (personal) or Asana (work), or a physical planner. Practice the "two-minute rule" - if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately rather than writing it down.
Schedule weekly reviews to go through your task list, update priorities, and plan for the upcoming week. The goal is to have a trusted system outside of your mind, so you can focus on the task at hand without forgetting other responsibilities.
A great book on task management and productivity is Getting Things Done by David Allen. Here are some of our favorite ideas from the book on this topic:
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If it's on your mind, your mind isn't clear. Anything unfinished must be captured.
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Why things are on your mind:
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You want it to be different than it currently is, and yet:
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You haven't clarified exactly what the intended outcome is
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You haven't decided what the very next physical action step is
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You haven't put reminders of the outcome and the action required into a system you trust
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The solution to getting things done:
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Write down a project or situation that is most on your mind at this moment
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Describe in a single sentence your intended desired outcome for this problem or situation
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Write down the very next physical action step required to move this situation forward
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After writing out your situation with the formula above, your mind can rest knowing that it doesn’t have to keep working out your situation in your mind. All you will need to focus on is the physical next action step.
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Your mind will keep working on anything that's still in that undecided state.
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There is no reason to ever have the same thought twice, unless you like having that thought.
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If you're not totally clear about the purpose of what you're doing, you have no chance of winning.
Digital Detox
The constant barrage of notifications, emails, and social media updates can create a state of continuous partial attention, making it difficult to focus and relax. Also, the blue light emitted by digital devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
A digital detox allows your mind to reset, reducing information overload and giving you space to process your thoughts and emotions.
Recommendations: Set specific times each day to disconnect from all digital devices. Start with 30 minutes and gradually increase. Choose a time that works best for your schedule, such as during meals, the first hour after waking up, or the last hour before bed.
Consider using apps that limit your screen time or block certain apps during your chosen detox periods.
Communicate your digital detox schedule to colleagues and family members to manage expectations about your availability.
Socializing
Social connections are crucial for mental health and stress management. Humans are social creatures, and positive social interactions can boost oxytocin levels, which helps to reduce stress and promote feelings of well-being.
Regular social activities can provide emotional support, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for fun and relaxation. Socializing can also offer fresh perspectives on problems and may even lead to new business opportunities.
Recommendations: Make time for major social activities at least once a week. This could be dinner with friends or taking part in community events.
Prioritize quality over quantity in your social interactions. Seek out relationships that are supportive and energizing rather than draining.
Consider joining professional networking groups or mastermind circles to combine socializing with business growth opportunities.
If time is a constraint, look for ways to incorporate social elements into activities you already do - like exercising with a friend.
Don't underestimate the value of virtual connections – scheduled video calls with distant friends or family members can also be great.
Reassess Deadlines
Many self-imposed deadlines contribute unnecessarily to stress levels. While deadlines can be motivating and help structure work, unrealistic or arbitrary deadlines can create unnecessary pressure and anxiety. This constant sense of urgency can lead to chronic stress, affecting both your health and the quality of your work.
By reassessing deadlines, you can create a more balanced workload and reduce stress without sacrificing productivity.
Recommendations: Regularly review your to-do list and deadlines. Ask yourself, "Does this really need to be done by this date?"
Prioritize projects based on their importance and urgency. For each deadline, consider the consequences of extending it or reducing it.
Communicate openly with team members and clients about realistic timelines, setting expectations that allow for quality work without undue stress. Consider implementing buffer times in your project timelines to account for unexpected delays or challenges.
Avoiding Toxic Relationships & Environments
Negative relationships and environments can poison your ability to focus on your goals. High cortisol, scattered focus, and overthinking can result from not setting clear boundaries on who and what gets access to your energy.
Relationships
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Set clear boundaries with difficult family members or friends
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Limit time spent with people who consistently drain your energy or criticize you
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Practice the "two strikes" rule: if someone shows toxic behavior despite feedback more than once, cut or reduce contact
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Focus on nurturing relationships that make you feel supported and energized
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Learn to recognize and respond to manipulation tactics and emotional abuse patterns
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Recommended Reading:
Environment
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Create a peaceful home environment free from chaos and clutter
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Designate specific spaces for relaxation and work
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Implement a "news diet" - limit consumption of negative news
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Change commutes route to avoid high-stress areas if possible
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Incorporate nature and calming elements into your surroundings