Stress, Loss, and Adaptation

A Personal Guide to Health Tuning

Tuning is a new spin on an old idea. It refers to the concept that we can actively harmonize a variety of factors to amplify the outcomes we want. In the domain of performance longevity, this means leveraging behaviors that are self-supporting, so their synergy produces a more stable state of health over time.

More simply, it’s about cultivating a system of awareness—becoming attuned to key indicators and selecting appropriate responses. Over time, this process can evolve into a self-sustaining feedback loop that requires less conscious effort. Ideally, tuning allows you to recognize opportunities for adjustment and act on them before circumstances push you too far off course.

In health and performance, tuning means listening to your body and mind, measuring what matters, and making adjustments to maintain harmony. Health isn’t static; the conditions and behaviors that support it are constantly shifting, even if subtly. Skillful tuning is knowing which knobs to turn and by how much to keep things on track.

How is this done? It’s different for everyone, but the core truth is universal: tuning, like any skill, is cultivated through practice. This article offers a window into how I applied tuning during a particularly challenging period, in the hope that it helps you find your own way of staying in tune.

Busy Bee and Sad Me

When it rains, it pours. After a period of relative stability, life came calling with a series of challenges. As often happens, these challenges didn’t arrive gradually but as a sudden cascade compressed into two weeks: a dying pet, unexpected financial burdens, a broken-down vehicle, work travel, contract obligations, and book revisions all landed at once.

Over these intense weeks, I faced challenges that tested my ability to stay balanced and adaptable. It began with my truck breaking down, followed by unexpected expenses for a car rental and a vet bill for my dog, Kilo. Meanwhile, I had a major presentation to prepare for and soon drove 12 hours to a four-day work event.

At the event, I worked 12-hour days teaching physical fitness and serving as a range safety officer, a role that required constant focus and vigilance. Evenings were spent socializing and networking, leaving me with only about six hours of sleep per night (plummeting my Oura ring HRV to 12). The drive home was equally exhausting, but rest remained elusive. While I was away, Kilo was diagnosed with liver cancer. For a week, I slept on the couch with him, waking multiple times each night to help him. Despite my best efforts, we ultimately had to euthanize him, further disrupting my routine and emotional equilibrium.

Through it all, I realized that tuning is about more than managing stress; it’s about adapting in real-time to shifting demands. Whether conserving energy during long workdays, staying present in moments of grief, or finding the focus to drive home, I was constantly recalibrating. Tuning isn’t about perfect balance but rather finding small ways to move forward, even when overwhelmed.

In these challenges, I didn’t try to push through as if nothing had changed, nor did I let things slide completely out of control. Instead, I relied on a simple framework of three questions to guide my adjustments and keep me moving forward:

1. Is there anything I can do to alleviate the situation?
   For example, when I was teaching at the S12 event, could I have slept in later to get an extra hour of rest? The answer under these conditions was no—I had to be up early to teach physical training at 0600 each day.

2. If I can’t alleviate the problem, can I mitigate the negative effects?
   While I couldn’t sleep in, I focused on improving the quality of the sleep I did get. I went to bed at a consistent time each night, took magnesium to promote relaxation, and set aside time each morning for breathing exercises and Sun Salutations to center myself before starting work.

3. If there’s much outside of my control, should I temper my expectations?
   The night Kilo passed, I stayed on the couch, even though he was no longer there. My grieving brain woke me up in the middle of the night, and I lay there, exhausted and sad. The next day, I committed to some light movement—not for performance, but to maintain the habit and keep from being consumed by grief all day.

These questions became my anchor, helping me adapt and make the best choices under challenging conditions.

Shape Shifting

When the acute demands of this period subsided, part of me wanted to return to the gym and hit it hard, pretending nothing had happened. But I know from experience that while this approach might work in the short term, it’s not sustainable. If the goal is robust adaptability and performance longevity, shifting your plans to accommodate your current context is essential.

This isn’t just about what you do but how you approach it. During this time, my intentions, the volume, density, and intensity of my health practices all shifted, but I continued to make daily investments. I recall being in the hospital after an emergency appendectomy, doing isometric holds in bed to stimulate my body. Was it the same as lifting weights? Of course not. But small efforts like these can compound over time.

With this mindset, I adjusted my regular training plans to account for my diminished capacity. When I was home, I did less work overall and rested longer between efforts. While away, I maintained my Sun Salutation routine to ensure I moved daily and prioritized eating clean (which was made easier by excellent catering at the event). These small actions helped me stay engaged without overreaching.

The most difficult adjustment was managing disrupted sleep. Lack of sleep combined with stress is a recipe for illness, so I focused on what I could control. I optimized my evenings with consistent bedtimes and relaxation techniques while setting realistic expectations for myself the next day.

The Best I Can (Under the Conditions)

There’s a growing dichotomy in the world of health philosophies: the ultra-disciplined “no excuses” mindset versus the more flexible “do what you feel” approach. Whether this divide is real or amplified by social media, I believe there’s a middle ground. Tuning occupies this space.

Tuning allows for fluid adjustments to your circumstances while maintaining discipline. The ultra-disciplined often refuse to bend and eventually break, while the overly flexible may struggle to maintain long-term progress. Tuning teaches us to navigate life’s waves, moving with them rather than fighting against them.

Ask yourself:

1. Can I positively adapt to this input in my current context?

2. Will this contribute to my long-term objectives? How do I know?

3. Have I tried this approach before? What was the outcome?

These questions create space to make thoughtful adjustments. When life throws a curveball, tuning helps you stay on track. It’s about doing your best under the conditions, guided by the understanding that small, deliberate efforts build resilience over time. By consistently adjusting your approach, you create synergy between your actions and goals, laying the foundation for better health and performance in the long run.

Thanks for reading,

Rob

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If you dig this topic and my writing check out my forthcoming book:

Check Engine Light: Tuning Body and Mind For Performance Longevity