Why Doing More Isn’t Always the Answer
When it comes to improving recovery and wellness, most people assume the solution is to do more—more stretching, more supplements, more workouts, more mindfulness techniques. But there’s a hidden cost to this mindset: the more we add, the more overwhelmed we become.
Between busy schedules, competing priorities, and an endless list of recovery tools and health hacks, people often get stuck. Decision fatigue sets in, and instead of making meaningful progress, they feel paralyzed.
But what if the key to better recovery and health wasn’t about adding more and the best ways to simplify recovery was about removing what’s slowing you down?
Instead of forcing new habits, many people would see faster, more sustainable results by simply subtracting the things that actively interfere with their recovery and well-being. This shift in mindset simplifies decision-making, frees up mental energy, and makes positive change far more achievable.
Why More Can Lead to Overwhelm
We often assume that better health requires more effort. But in reality, trying to overhaul recovery and wellness all at once leads to three key problems:
1. Decision Fatigue: Too Many Choices, No Action
With an overwhelming number of recovery and wellness strategies available—ice baths, infrared therapy, breathwork, tissue work, supplements, red light therapy—how do you decide what’s best? The more options you have, the harder it is to take action. Many people end up doing nothing at all because they don’t know where to start.
2. Willpower is Finite: Every Change Requires Mental Energy
Adopting new habits requires mental effort. At first, making a change—whether it’s committing to a recovery routine or improving nutrition—relies on willpower. But willpower is limited. Trying to overhaul multiple habits at once often leads to burnout.
For example, someone might invest in expensive supplements without first fixing basic micronutrient intake through real food. They feel like they’re doing something beneficial, but without a solid foundation, they see little improvement.
3. Complexity Kills Consistency
Recovery and wellness should fit into daily life without feeling like a second job. If a routine is too complicated or expensive, it’s difficult to sustain.
For example, spending $6 on a daily latte while skipping high-quality food or tissue work is a common mistake. Many people will cut corners on what actually improves their health while justifying spending on “nice-to-haves.”
The Solution: Subtract First, Then Add
Instead of looking for more things to add, start by removing what’s actively working against you.
This approach simplifies recovery and wellness in two key ways:
- It eliminates the mental burden of decision-making—it’s easier to stop doing something harmful than to learn and implement something entirely new.
- It creates space for better habits to form naturally—by subtracting negatives, positive changes happen effortlessly.
Applying Subtraction to Recovery
Recovery is about giving your body the best possible environment to repair itself. Rather than stacking multiple new habits on top of existing problems, start by removing what’s slowing your recovery down.
Removing negatives is one of best ways to simplify recovery.
1. Sleep: The Most Powerful Recovery Tool
Instead of: Buying expensive sleep trackers, melatonin supplements, or high-tech mattresses
Start by: Eliminating sleep disruptors —late-night screens, caffeine, noise, doom-scrolling, and light.
Many of your habits or your sleep environment can have negative impact on sleep, either delaying sleep and lowering sleep quality. Cutting out screens an hour before bed, reducing caffeine, blocking out lights all can improve sleep without adding anything new.
2. Hydration & Nutrition
Instead of: Buying fancy electrolyte drinks and recovery powders
Start by: Removing high-sugar and high-caffeine beverages.
Many people sabotage their recovery by drinking too much caffeine or sugary drinks. These can disrupt sleep, add empty calories, and increase inflammation. Before worrying about specialty recovery drinks, cut back on coffee, soda, and energy drinks.
3. Mobility
Instead of: Overcomplicating a mobility routine with too many drills
Start by: Reducing time spent sitting or being sedentary.
No amount of stretching will undo the stiffness caused by sitting in traffic for hours or staying glued to a desk. Breaking up long periods of inactivity with small movement breaks throughout the day makes a bigger impact than an overly complex stretching routine.
Applying Subtraction to Health & Wellness
Many people don’t need a perfect health plan—they need to stop doing the things that keep them stuck. Simplify your recovery by taking these things out of your lifestyle.
1. Nutrition: A Simpler Approach
Instead of: Following a complicated diet plan
Start by: Eliminating processed foods and excessive sugar.
Rather than obsessing over macronutrients, Paleo, Carnivore or Keto, the simplest way to improve health is to stop eating processed junk that drives inflammation. Just removing processed foods and added sugars often leads to better energy, digestion, and body composition.
2. Time Management: Removing Wasted Time
Instead of: Complaining about not having time for wellness habits
Start by: Subtracting unnecessary commitments or inefficient use of time.
- Driving long distances to training, school, or work? Find ways to batch trips or carpool.
- Spending hours on social media? Swap 10 minutes of scrolling for breathwork, visualization, or mobility work.
Many people say they don’t have time for self-care—but when they subtract time spent on low-value activities, they realize there’s more time than they thought.
3. Mental Health: Less Stress, More Clarity
Instead of: Adding multiple mindfulness practices
Start by: Reducing stressors like excessive news, social media, and toxic relationships.
Rather than forcing a meditation habit, cut back on the things causing stress in the first place. Social media overload and constant notifications create unnecessary mental clutter.
How to Take Action: A Step-by-Step Approach to Simplify Recovery
Making meaningful improvements doesn’t require an extreme overhaul. Start with small, strategic subtractions and let the benefits accumulate over time.
1. Identify the Biggest Obstacle
Ask yourself: What is the one thing that’s having the most negative impact on me?
- Poor sleep?
- Processed foods?
- Excess screen time?
- Wasting money on “nice-to-haves” instead of investing in real health benefits?
Pick one to focus on first.
2. Make One Subtraction First
Pick one thing to remove and commit to it for two weeks.
- Stop drinking soda or energy drinks.
- Cut out late-night screens.
- Cancel a streaming service and use that money for high-quality food or tissue work.
3. Let Subtraction Create Space for Better Habits
Once you remove a negative habit, you naturally create space for a better one.
- Less screen time = more sleep.
- Fewer processed foods = naturally healthier eating.
- Less time wasted = more time for recovery, training, or relaxation.
4. Build Gradually
Once the first change feels effortless, layer in another small subtraction or a new positive habit. Avoid drastic overhauls—gradual adjustments are far more sustainable.
Final Thoughts: The Best Ways To Simplify Recovery
Recovery and wellness don’t have to be complicated. The best results come from removing what’s slowing you down before adding more.
By focusing on subtraction first, you reduce mental burden, conserve willpower, and make positive changes feel effortless. The simplest, most sustainable improvements come from removing what doesn’t serve you—not constantly chasing more.
So, what’s the one thing you can subtract today? Try it—and experience the power of doing less, but gaining more.
