The Exercise Expert: This Popular Lifestyle Is Killing 1 Person Every 33 Seconds! (The Comfort Crisis): Michael Easter
Nov 2, 2023
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In this podcast, Steven Bartlett sits down with bestselling author Michael Easter to discuss the impact of seeking comfort in our lives, the benefits of getting out of our comfort zones, the difference between being alone and lonely, the negative impacts of loneliness, the connection between status and long life expectancy, the prevalence of problems in our mindset, the importance of exercise and evolutionary fitness, the manifestations of modern lifestyle, the rising global sadness and how to combat it, the ethics of corporations, and the significance of understanding our brain and embracing discomfort.
Embracing discomfort and challenges is essential for personal growth and overcoming the comfort crisis.
Higher status individuals tend to have better health outcomes, but there is a need to balance the desire for status with well-being.
Being mindful of snacking habits and choosing whole foods is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight.
Recognizing the psychological aspect of fatigue can help push past perceived limits and improve physical performance.
Deep dives
The Comfort Crisis: Escaping the Addiction to Ease
The podcast episode explores the concept of the comfort crisis and how our modern lifestyle, with its emphasis on comfort and convenience, is impacting our health and overall well-being. The speaker highlights that humans are not designed to live in constant comfort and ease, and this addiction to comfort is causing a crisis in our physical and mental health. The episode discusses how our preference for the easiest and most comfortable option is leading to burnout, stress, and an increase in mental health problems. The speaker also examines the impact of engineered movement out of our lives, such as spending long hours sitting, and the decline in physical activity. The episode emphasizes that our obsession with comfort is a problem that affects our happiness and satisfaction, leading us to constantly search for the next pleasurable experience. The speaker suggests that we need to break out of this cycle by embracing discomfort and challenges, and taking back control of our lives and well-being.
The Effects of Status and Noise on Health and Happiness
The podcast episode delves into the effects of status and noise on our health and happiness. The speaker acknowledges that status, which is deeply ingrained in human nature, plays a significant role in our lives. Higher status individuals tend to have better health outcomes and overall well-being. The episode also highlights the negative impact of noise on our mental and physical health. Loud and continuous noise increases stress levels, which can lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease. The episode discusses the need to find a balance between our desire for status and the detrimental effects it can have on our well-being. It also suggests the importance of creating environments with less noise to reduce stress and improve our overall health and happiness.
The Influence of Snacking and Food Processing on Our Eating Habits
The podcast episode explores the influence of snacking and food processing on our eating habits and weight gain. The speaker discusses how the food industry revolutionized the concept of snacking in the 1970s, creating a new category of eating between meals. Snack foods are designed to be value-driven, offering variety and quick repeatability, which leads to overconsumption. Ultra-processed foods, such as chips and cookies, are less filling per calorie compared to whole foods. This leads to higher calorie intake and, ultimately, weight gain. The episode emphasizes the importance of being aware of our snacking habits and choosing whole foods that are more filling to maintain a healthy weight.
Understanding Fatigue and Psychological Perceptions in Physical Performance
The podcast episode delves into the relationship between fatigue, psychological perceptions, and physical performance. The speaker highlights the role of our psychology in determining our level of fatigue during exercise. Studies show that our psychological perceptions can influence how tired we feel and impact our performance. The episode discusses the comfort crisis, explaining that our brain tends to slow us down and shut us down before we actually reach our physical limits. However, by reframing our thoughts and understanding that discomfort is a subjective story we tell ourselves, we can push past our perceived limits and improve our physical performance. The episode emphasizes the importance of recognizing the psychological aspect of fatigue and using it to our advantage in achieving our fitness goals.
Embracing Discomfort for Growth and Appreciation
The speaker discusses the importance of embracing discomfort in order to grow and appreciate the joys of life. Using personal examples, such as a challenging expedition in the Arctic, the speaker highlights how stepping out of one's comfort zone can lead to a newfound appreciation for the comforts and conveniences of everyday life. They emphasize the value of engaging in experiences that push boundaries, both big and small, to gain perspective, gratitude, and a deeper understanding of one's capabilities. The speaker suggests that discomfort can be an antidote to taking things for granted and encourages individuals to adopt a mindset that consciously embraces challenging situations and actively seeks out discomfort in order to live a more fulfilled life.
The Pitfalls of Always Seeking More
The speaker discusses the human tendency to constantly seek more and its impact on happiness and contentment. They highlight research indicating that despite increasing wealth and resources, happiness levels have not risen and may have even decreased in some cases. The speaker suggests that constantly searching for the next problem or pleasure is ingrained in human behavior, and while it may have provided a survival advantage in the past, it can lead to a lack of appreciation for the present moment and a focus on first world problems. They encourage individuals to recognize and be mindful of the abundance and progress of the modern world, and to find contentment in what they have rather than always striving for more.
The Importance of Exercise and Physical Activity
The speaker emphasizes the importance of exercise and physical activity for overall health and well-being. They highlight the evolutionary benefits of human movement, such as running long distances and carrying weights. They discuss the modern sedentary lifestyles that have minimized physical activity and the negative impact this has on overall fitness. The speaker advocates for incorporating more movement in daily life, whether through activities like running, rucking (carrying weights while walking), or choosing to take the stairs instead of escalators. They highlight the importance of maintaining muscle mass, cardiovascular health, and overall physical capability.
Choosing Discomfort and Embracing Uncertainty
The speaker discusses the value of choosing discomfort and embracing uncertainty in order to foster personal growth, creativity, and resilience. They highlight how the fear of uncertainty often holds individuals back from venturing into new experiences or taking risks. They emphasize the importance of consciously making choices that push one out of their comfort zone, whether through physical challenges, embracing discomfort in daily life, or pursuing new adventures. The speaker encourages individuals to recognize that embracing uncertainty and seeking discomfort can lead to transformation and enhance their understanding of what they are truly capable of achieving.
Is comfort killing you? And why can we never get enough of anything? Is the real way to find happiness by going against our most basic instincts?
In this new episode Steven sits down with New York Times Bestselling author, Michael Easter.
Michael Easter is the bestselling author of books such as ‘The Comfort Crisis’ and ‘The Scarcity Brain’. He was a senior editor at Men’s Health magazine and is currently a professor of journalism at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His writing has appeared in Men’s Health, Outside magazine, Men’s Journal, Cosmopolitan, Vice, Esquire, Scientific American, and Women’s Health.
In this conversation Michael and Steven discuss topics, such as:
How to get out of your comfort zone
Why your comfortable life is killing you
What is meant by healthy discomfort
How 2% of people are willing to push beyond their comfort zones
The difference between being lonely and alone
The benefits of being alone
But the negative impacts of being lonely
Why loneliness is a killer
How to make better long term decisions
Why people with higher status live longer
How noisy cities cause heart attacks and depression
How to fix back pain
The ways that taking the stairs will improve your health
Why the world is becoming increasingly unhappy
How activity in nature is better for your brain
Why our ancestor were so much fitter than us
How we’ve engineered meaning out of our lives
Addiction being a spectrum we are all on
Why moderation is not easy for humans
What is the scarcity brain
Why expectations often lead to unhappiness
Fewer problems not necessarily leading to more happiness
Embracing discomfort during crises
You can purchase Michael’s most recent book, ‘Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough’, here: https://amzn.to/3MG5hef
