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Surely, the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral. --Khalil Gibran, in The Prophet
I've been reading a book called "The Comfort Crisis." Its basic thesis is that we were not made to be this comfortable, to live this easy, and that our comfort is sucking away our health and our satisfaction with ourselves.
The book has resonated with me. Many cultures have rites of passage into adulthood. The Masai, for example, send their young men out to stalk and kill a lion with their hands and traditional weapons.
Now, our lives lack opportunity for contemplation, for real challenge, for a chance to prove ourselves to ourselves.
Our bodies are built to run down prey. Now, we use them to walk to the meat department if we're feeling frisky, or to the steakhouse if we're not.
Work that uses our bodies is often paid poorly, workers are often looked down on, and their bodies are considered expendable. The workers tend to buy in to this view of the value of their bodies, and poison themselves with nicotine, alcohol, to and food to escape the misery.
Work that pays well often is sedentary work. And many of these workers spend their lives in various disease states as a result.
We live between 68 and 72 degrees. We complain that we can't breathe if it's 73, and we gripe about 66 like it's the Arctic.
If you know me, I'm always in search of paths to self-improvement.
As I was reading this book, I realized that I need to give my family a taste of challenge. So, in late August, we will truly be off-grid for 5 days. And I'm happier already, just knowing that this is on the horizon for us. I have a goal to work toward, and my kids need to learn to paddle.
In the comments, I'd like to hear what you may have done to challenge comfort. How has getting uncomfortably changed your life?
Stay healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
