Recovery is the opposite of stress. 

The autonomic nervous system’s parasympathetic branch (the body’s brake pedal) is engaged, causing your activation level to drop and resources to be replenished.

The stronger your stress reactions throughout your day, the more recovery time your body will need. Ultimately, to unlock your health and performance potential, you need both stress and recovery. Finding the optimal balance makes the difference.

During leisure time, stress and recovery balance can be maintained by doing something enjoyable and meaningful because a positive frame of mind promotes recovery. However, it’s good to remember not to overdo it, since you need to recover from the positive stress you experience as well.

Your most important time for recovery is a sufficiently long, restorative sleep period. Sleep has the biggest impact on the total amount of recovery that your body requires. Failure to rebalance your stress and recovery through sleep can lead to physical & psychological fatigue or burnout.

If the balance remains negative for too long, excessive stress starts to cause problems and the body’s defense system is weakened. Even long sleep periods might not be enough to activate a recovery response. When your body is constantly “on'', even stepping on the brakes does not help. If you neglect the alarm signals your body is sending you it could lead to some more serious health problems.

Having moments of recovery throughout your day will allow your body to balance itself and homeostasis to be restored. 

Stress + Recovery = Sustainable growth.

Source: Firstbeat Technologies