Recovery is a Skill: The Performance Multiplier Most Ignore
Peak Performance Today Issue #10
“He Thought Rest Was a Luxury. Until It Cost Him.”
He was a Texas high school coach - football in the fall, baseball in the spring, teaching a full class load on the daily. Throw in being a husband, a father, grading papers, and the seven day work week that comes with coaching football in the fall and almost the same schedule for baseball in the spring… and recovery? What‘s that? Recovery felt like a joke.
“Rest?” he once said to me. “That’s something I’ll catch up on in June and July in the afternoons after morning athlete strength and condition workouts, 7 on 7 practice and tournaments.”
To this coach, recovery was a reward you got after the grind. After the football and baseball seasons and school year was over. After the work was done.
The problem? There’s always more work.
He loved the game, loved his players, loved the opportunity to lead. But over time, things started slipping. He snapped at his family more. His patience on the field wore thin. Lessons that once felt natural took extra effort to teach. He stayed up late trying to catch up and woke up exhausted the next day.
He was still showing up - but he was showing up diminished.
That’s when we sat down, and I shared a formula that reframed everything for him:
Optimal Stress + Optimal Recovery = Peak Performance
Being a high-performing coach means high stress - often by choice. But high stress demands high recovery. Not as a luxury, but as a strategy.
So we rebuilt his rhythm:
5 -10 minute decompress time after practice before heading home
A Sunday morning routine before the family work up of unplugged quiet time
Breathwork between class periods to reset between class and coaching
Sleep blocks guarded like team meetings
Within a few weeks, things started to shift. He was more patient. More present. His mind became sharper. His energy returned. His leadership elevated.
Recovery wasn’t stealing time. It was multiplying his impact.
Recovery Isn’t a Reward. It’s a Responsibility.
In a corporate or sports environment that praises hustle, recovery often gets dismissed. But science, experience, and elite performance tell us otherwise:
Your brain consolidates learning during rest.
Your body repairs from stress while you sleep.
Your emotional regulation resets when you unplug.
Recovery isn't passive. It's a skill.
Before we dive into the specifics, it’s important to understand that recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best recovery strategies are multidimensional - they meet your body, mind, and emotions where they are.
By building recovery into your day with purpose and clarity, you’re not just avoiding burnout—you’re strengthening your capacity to lead, perform, and grow.
The 3 Core Types of Recovery
Physical Recovery
Mental Recovery
Emotional Recovery
Reflection Prompt
How do you currently recover?
Are you intentional or reactive?
What kind of recovery do you avoid but need the most?
Write down one recovery habit you want to strengthen this week.
Your Quick Win
Implement a 30-minute recovery routine this week:
A "Digital Sunset", i.e. no screens before bed
Low light or red light before bed
Breathing or light stretching
Journaling or reading
Try it before bed or after a high-demand workday.
Protect this space like it’s your most important meeting or your playbook..
Here’s to achieving your Peak Performance Today!
With focus and determination,
Coach Ed Padalecki, Peak Performance Today
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