The full catalog
Protocols for stress
762 entries pulled from 62 stacks. Items are ordered by how many tracked people are on record about them, including discussion, use and recommendations.
Filter counts cover the full catalog. Type, goal and cost filters apply to items only.
Items
52 entries
Reset- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.01
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.02
Sauna
Regular heat exposure, often 4 sessions a week at 20 minutes
On record from 17 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 3 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.03
Yoga
Regular yoga practice for flexibility, strength and a calmer nervous system
On record from 8 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost04
Breathwork
Structured breathing sessions to shift the nervous system up or down
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.05
Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.06
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost07
Workday shutdown ritual
A fixed end-of-day routine that closes open loops so work stops
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.08
Low-cost index fund investing
A broad S&P 500 index fund bought on a schedule, through thick and thin, no stock picking
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.09
Sports massage
Regular hands-on soft-tissue work from a trainer or therapist
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.10
Tennis
Singles or doubles on court, played as a lifelong sport rather than a workout
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.11
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Grappling practice used as training, stress relief and humility
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.12
CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia)
A structured sleep program; Matthew Walker and Andrew Huberman both point people to it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.13
Foam rolling
Pressing body weight into a dense foam cylinder to work through tight muscle
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost14
Hiking
Trail walking with elevation, usually an hour or more at a talking pace
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost15
Inner scorecard
Judge yourself by your own standards rather than by how the world grades you
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - ProtocolFREE, no cost16
Non-sleep deep rest (NSDR)
10-20 minute guided body-scan rest, sometimes called yoga nidra
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost17
Physiological sigh
Two inhales through the nose, one long exhale; heart rate drops within seconds
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost18
Shipping creative work
Publishing on a schedule rather than waiting for the work to feel ready
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.19
Transcendental Meditation
Silent mantra repetition, about 20 minutes twice a day, taught in a paid course
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost20
Vision setting
Write down a specific picture of who you are becoming, then filter decisions through it
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
4-7-8 breathing
Inhale for four counts, hold for seven, exhale for eight, repeated a few times
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
5 Second Rule countdown
Count 5-4-3-2-1 out loud and move before hesitation talks you out of it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Acupuncture
Fine needles at set points, used by athletes for tight or sore muscle
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Automatic rules
Decide the behavior once, as a rule, so it is not decided in the moment
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Box breathing
Inhale, hold, exhale, hold, each for a count of four, repeated for a few minutes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Budget and deadline discipline
Treating the number and the date as hard limits that end the project
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Cookie jar
A mental store of past wins to draw on when you want to quit
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Disagree and commit
State your objection once, then back the decision fully instead of relitigating it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Evening review
Going back over the day at night: what you did, said and could have handled better
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
FBI feedback method
Say the feeling, then the behavior that caused it, then the impact it had
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Fear-setting
Write down the worst case, how to prevent it, and how to repair it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Grounding (earthing)
Bare skin on grass, sand or soil, or a conductive mat wired to earth
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
HRV biofeedback training
Paced breathing against a live heart rate variability readout, a few minutes a day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Infinite mindset
Play for staying in the game rather than for beating this quarter's number
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Killing the ANTs
Writing down automatic negative thoughts and putting each one on trial
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Let them, let me
Two words to stop managing other people, then two more to decide what you do
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Long-term games with long-term people
Picking work, partners and industries where you keep meeting the same people
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Obituary test
Decide what you want your obituary to say, then live so as to deserve it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Pickleball
Paddle sport on a small court, easy to learn, played by whole families across generations
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Positive framing
State the outcome you want instead of the one you are trying to avoid
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Progressive muscle relaxation
Tensing and releasing muscle groups in order to find and drop held tension
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Public speaking course
A structured class in speaking to a room, taken to get past the fear of doing it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Reflected Best Self Exercise
Ask twenty people for a story of you at your best, then find the pattern
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Regret minimization framework
Picture yourself at 80 looking back, then pick the option you would regret least
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Saying No Gracefully
A three step script for declining without wrecking the relationship
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Silent meditation retreat
Ten residential days of silence and long sitting, no reading or phone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Strategic quitting
Setting your quit conditions in advance, then quitting without drama
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Surfing
Paddling, pop-ups and turns as conditioning, plus hours away from a phone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
The 85 percent rule
Working at about 85 percent effort so relaxation and form do the rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Two-way door decisions
Sort choices by how reversible they are, then move fast on the reversible ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Visualization
Rehearsing a performance in your head before you do it for real
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
WHY discovery exercise
Ask a close friend why you are friends, then listen for what they say about themselves
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed.