8.4 Recovery & Decompression Practices

8.4 Recovery & Decompression Practices is the competency that allows you to come down from effort, stress, and activation in a healthy way. When underdeveloped, people stay locked in overdrive or shutdown, unable to “switch off” — leading to exhaustion, irritability, and health problems. When cultivated, you intentionally use restorative practices (breath, movement, rest, ritual, play) to create a rhythm of tension and release. The Decompression–Renewal Cycle — “Tense → Notice → Release → Recover → Renew” — helps you acknowledge stress, locate tension, release safely, allow recovery, and return to your next action refreshed. Recovery stops being a luxury and becomes your resilience practice.