How to Grow From Doing Hard Things | Michael Easter

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Jun 16, 2025

Michael Easter, a professor at UNLV and best-selling author, dives into how modern conveniences can undermine our mental and physical health. He discusses the importance of embracing discomfort and confronting challenges to build resilience and joy. Easter shares insights on the dopamine reward system, emphasizing that effortful activities like exercise and undistracted reflection can enhance motivation. He also explores the significance of genuine connections in today’s digital age, advocating for personal growth through shared experiences and nature.

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Huberman's Life-Changing Habit

Andrew Huberman shares how Michael Easter's book, The Comfort Crisis, changed his behavior and mental health.
He now regularly does challenging activities like rucking and plans uncomfortable activities each week.

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Evolutionary Mismatch of Comfort

Humans evolved to endure discomfort and physical challenges for survival.
Modern life has removed many hardships, leading to an evolutionary mismatch causing health issues.

00:00 / 00:00

Use Challenge to Gain Perspective

Engage in volunteering or recovery meetings to gain perspective and reset what you consider problems.
Use rites of passage by embracing challenges and narrating your experiences to grow mentally.

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Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anna Lembke, MD

In 'Dopamine Nation,' Dr. Anna Lembke delves into the scientific discoveries that explain why overindulgence in high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli leads to pain. The book combines personal narratives from her clinical practice with the latest psychology research to illustrate how to find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check. Lembke discusses the impact of modern addictions, such as those related to smartphones, food, and other behaviors, and provides strategies for managing consumption and transforming lives. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery[1][3][5].

Little Chapel on the River

A Pub, a Town and the Search for What Matters Most

Gwendolyn Bounds

In this critically-acclaimed book, Gwendolyn Bounds recounts her experiences after being uprooted from her downtown Manhattan apartment following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. She finds solace in an old Irish pub in New York’s historic Hudson River Valley, where she becomes one of the rare female regulars. The book captures the charm and history of the pub, its charismatic but ailing owner, and its motley clientele, reflecting on what truly matters in life.

The Comfort Crisis

Michael Easter

In 'The Comfort Crisis,' Michael Easter explores the idea that modern society's emphasis on comfort and convenience has led to various physical and mental health issues. Easter's journey takes him to diverse locations, including the Alaskan backcountry, Bhutan, and the labs of neuroscientists, to uncover the benefits of living at the edges of one's comfort zone. He discusses the concept of 'misogi,' a Japanese practice involving challenges that push individuals to their limits, and how such experiences can enhance creativity, reduce burnout and anxiety, and increase overall well-being. The book is a call to action, encouraging readers to break out of their comfort zones and reconnect with the natural world and their own potential[2][3][4].