I Improved My HRV by 28 and Dropped My Resting Heart Rate by 10 BPM in Just 2 Weeks - Here’s How…
The Impact of Stress, Burnout, and Recovery for High Achievers
In the world of high-performance, well-being often comes at the cost of ambition. As a transformational coach, I’ve spent years helping others navigate the delicate balance between success and health—but when a series of life events hit all at once, I saw firsthand how stress can derail even the most disciplined routines.
This blog isn’t just about my story—it’s about the actionable habits that can help you recover, restore, and return to balance, even when life throws its expected (but equally surprising) curveballs.
The Baseline: A Strong Foundation
Before my setback, I was operating at a high level. Regular training, breath-work, meditation, and structured recovery habits kept my body and nervous system regulated. My Oura Ring data reflected this:
-> Resting heart rate: 45 bpm
-> Heart rate variability (HRV): 71 ms
-> Readiness Score: 86 (Optimal)
Most things were dialled in.
Then… life happened.
The Downward Spiral: A Perfect Storm of Stress
A sequence of events hit my nervous system all at once:
A major knee injury – A bucket handle tear in my medial meniscus (a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu injury) led to 4-5 months on crutches (including on my wedding day) and an inability to train or move properly.
Wedding stress – One of the happiest moments of my life still carried natural pressures in the planning and hosting.
An unexpected, devastating life event – Completely blindsided me, leading to emotional exhaustion.
The result after months of accumulated stress?
-> HRV dropped from 71 ms to 23 ms
-> Resting heart rate (sleep) jumped from 45 bpm to 64 bpm
-> Readiness score plummeted to 59
The data confirmed exactly what I felt:
-> Overwhelmed
-> Exhausted
-> Out of sync
The Turning Point: Rebuilding My Recovery
Once I was cleared for rehab and movement, I knew I needed to take deliberate action to restore my baseline - not just physically, but psychologically and emotionally.
Here’s what I implemented:
-> A Consistent Sleep Schedule – Prioritizing deep rest to regulate my nervous system.
-> An Effective Evening Routine – Reducing blue light, down-regulating breathwork, meditation, journaling, and slowing down to allow proper recovery.
-> Daily Movement – Increasing step count back to 8-10k per day.
-> Switched to Decaf Coffee – To reduce overstimulation on an already stressed nervous system.
-> Multiple Short Breathwork & Meditation Sessions – 10-minute resets throughout the day to support stress resilience and nervous system regulation.
-> Structured Training – Reintroducing both cardio and resistance training gradually over time to rebuild my baseline.
The Results: What HasChanged in Just 2 Weeks
Within the first two weeks of making these shifts, the improvements were clear:
-> [So far] HRV has increased by 28 ms
-> [So far] Resting heart rate dropped by 10 bpm
-> [So Far] Readiness score significantly improved
Although I haven’t fully returned to my baseline, I wanted to highlight just how much of a difference two weeks of intentional lifestyle changes and well-being habits can make.
The Takeaway: Success Without Burnout
You don’t need perfect conditions to recover -you need simple, repeatable habits that allow you to return to balance, even after life’s hardest seasons.
I still have a busy personal and professional life, but implementing these practices enables me to recover effectively and develop long-term resilience.
If you’re a high achiever, learning to build stress resilience is just as important as success itself.
With Love,
DMC