Ben Aldridge, author of "How to Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable," shares his unique approach to self-improvement through his anti-bucket list concept. He discusses how his battle with anxiety led him to embrace a year of challenges, facing discomfort head-on, from cold showers to learning Japanese. Aldridge highlights how Stoic philosophy and personal trials can foster resilience and discipline. He also explores creative challenges and the transformative power of embracing discomfort, showcasing the growth experienced through adversity.
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Origin Story
Ben Aldridge's anxiety journey began with sudden, debilitating panic attacks.
These physical symptoms included a racing heart, shaking hands, and constant fear without any clear trigger.
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Stoic Inspiration
Stoicism's concept of practicing adversity resonated with Ben Aldridge as a way to manage anxiety.
This involved intentionally seeking discomfort to prepare for adversity, inspired by Stoics' methods.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Anti-Bucket List
Create an "anti-bucket list" of things you don't want to do.
Use it to craft challenges and push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
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This book by Ben Aldridge provides a practical guide to building mental resilience through 43 unusual challenges. By embracing discomfort, readers can develop a stronger mindset and overcome fears and self-imposed limitations. The book draws on Stoicism, Buddhism, CBT, and popular psychology to encourage personal growth.
When people start on a self-development journey, they'll sometimes create a bucket list -- all the things, all the typically exciting and pleasurable things, they hope to do before they die. My guest started his own self-improvement journey very differently, by creating an anti-bucket list consisting of things he didn't want to do, and embarking on a "year of adversity."
His name is Ben Aldridge and he's the author of How to Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable: 43 Weird & Wonderful Ways to Build a Strong, Resilient Mindset. Ben and I begin our conversation with how his struggle with debilitating panic attacks inspired him to study philosophical and psychological ideas on how to fight back against his anxiety, what he learned that can benefit anyone looking to be more resilient, and how he was particularly inspired by the Stoic idea of intentionally practicing adversity to prepare for adversity. We then talk about the project Ben set for himself of embarking on a year of mental, physical, and skill-based challenges designed to push himself outside his comfort zone, how he decided what kinds of challenges to do, and how doing hard things changed him. From there we get into the specific challenges Ben completed, from taking cold showers to learning Japanese, and what they taught him about self-discipline, facing your fears, and the human potential for growth. We end our conversation with the ways he's continued to push himself after the year of challenges was through, even in the midst of the pandemic lockdown, including climbing Mt. Everest from inside his house.
The Art of Manliness 