Allostatic load
The cumulative wear-and-tear of repeated stress on the body.
Allostatic load is a scientific term for the cost of adapting to stress over and over. Your body is good at responding to a single demand and returning to baseline; allostatic load is what builds up when demands come faster than recovery, keeping stress systems switched on. It reframes the goal usefully: the aim isn’t zero stress, it’s enough recovery that the load doesn’t accumulate. That’s exactly the balance the ballast idea describes.
Related tools
The Ballast Stress Check
A 10-question stress calculator that reads your current load and recovery — built on the Ballast Principle. Instant, private results in your browser.
Burnout Test (Copenhagen Inventory)
Am I burnt out? Take the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory free: 19 questions across personal, work, and client-related burnout with instant, private results.
Energy Budget (Spoon Theory)
A spoon theory energy budget you can actually use: set your daily spoons, cost out your day, and see where the energy goes. Private, in your browser.