a worthwhile read- The Comfort Crisis

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
10,483
Location
Montana
Worth reading- The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. Easter is a freelance journalist who write for Men's Health, Outside and a few others. This book offers a good discussion on a lot of interesting topics relating to health, but with a focus on why it's important to to challenge ourselves and embrace some discomfort for both our mental and physical health. In the backdrop is Michael Easter (a non-hunter until right now) on a multi-week caribou hunt in the Brook Range- he definitely is out of his comfort zone :D

“We are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives.”


"Do hard things and the rest of life gets easier”
 

Voyageur

WKR
Joined
Feb 12, 2020
Messages
1,054
Thanks for the recommendation. Looking forward to reading the book as it's right in line with things I've pondered all winter during my daily outdoor fitness sessions while enduring subzero temps and bitter winds strong enough that you have to lean into them to make forward progress.
 

3forks

WKR
Joined
Oct 4, 2014
Messages
887
Worth reading- The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. Easter is a freelance journalist who write for Men's Health, Outside and a few others. This book offers a good discussion on a lot of interesting topics relating to health, but with a focus on why it's important to to challenge ourselves and embrace some discomfort for both our mental and physical health. In the backdrop is Michael Easter (a non-hunter until right now) on a multi-week caribou hunt in the Brook Range- he definitely is out of his comfort zone :D

“We are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives.”


"Do hard things and the rest of life gets easier”
That’s a good synopsis.

I saw someone recommended this book on this forum this past fall, and I checked it out.

Since then, I’ve been recommending it to people in all different walks of life.

I think Michael Easter has a new book coming out sometime later this spring.
 
OP
mtwarden

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
10,483
Location
Montana
That’s a good synopsis.

I saw someone recommended this book on this forum this past fall, and I checked it out.

Since then, I’ve been recommending it to people in all different walks of life.

I think Michael Easter has a new book coming out sometime later this spring.

^ thanks- I'll keep my eyes peeled :)
 

Clarktar

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Messages
4,311
Location
AK
Great book! I think I recommend it on one of the book threads. It's worth reading a couple times I think. It really helped me understand why I do some of the things I do and he explained it much better than I could go others.

Next on my list is deep survival. Mawsons Will is another strong recommendation!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

bozeman

WKR
Joined
Dec 5, 2016
Messages
2,880
Location
Alabama
There was a podcast I listened to about a guy who challenges NBA, NFL, other pro players who has an annual challenge. It is based off of a Japanese philosophy about pushing yourself beyond your limits. The premise is once a year, you setup a challenge that you 'should' fail.....run 30 miles, etc......and see how you respond....it was quite interesting.
 
OP
mtwarden

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
10,483
Location
Montana
There was a podcast I listened to about a guy who challenges NBA, NFL, other pro players who has an annual challenge. It is based off of a Japanese philosophy about pushing yourself beyond your limits. The premise is once a year, you setup a challenge that you 'should' fail.....run 30 miles, etc......and see how you respond....it was quite interesting.

goes into great deal about this (interviewing the doctor that is advocating this) in the book, but also interviews a ton of other folks that just have some very interesting ideas :)
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,174
Location
Colorado Springs
Every time I go to the Indian lunch buffet, I eat so much and become so uncomfortable, that I almost puke. Does that count? And every time I go back, I say I won't do that again. But there I am an hour later after five trips to the food line thinking I'm gonna ralph. One time after my wife and I left, there I was at the stop light with my door open and my head hanging out the door just sure that I was going to see it all again. Definitely puts me out of my comfort zone, but it's sooooo good.
 

Finch

WKR
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
1,300
Location
VA
Every time I go to the Indian lunch buffet, I eat so much and become so uncomfortable, that I almost puke. Does that count? And every time I go back, I say I won't do that again. But there I am an hour later after five trips to the food line thinking I'm gonna ralph. One time after my wife and I left, there I was at the stop light with my door open and my head hanging out the door just sure that I was going to see it all again. Definitely puts me out of my comfort zone, but it's sooooo good.
Chicken Tikka marsala Indian hot with some naan! Love that stuff!
 

Finch

WKR
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Messages
1,300
Location
VA
Worth reading- The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. Easter is a freelance journalist who write for Men's Health, Outside and a few others. This book offers a good discussion on a lot of interesting topics relating to health, but with a focus on why it's important to to challenge ourselves and embrace some discomfort for both our mental and physical health. In the backdrop is Michael Easter (a non-hunter until right now) on a multi-week caribou hunt in the Brook Range- he definitely is out of his comfort zone :D

“We are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives.”


"Do hard things and the rest of life gets easier”
I also read the book and couldn't put it down. I enjoyed hearing of his hunt with Donnie Vincent and him going back and forth between the hunt and little tidbits on life and challenging oneself..
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,174
Location
Colorado Springs
I treat my elk hunting in Montana as my annual challenge!
I would think that any "real" elk hunt would be a decent challenge for most folks in the world today. Especially if they're doing it right and losing 20+ pounds. But I feel more in my comfort zone hunting elk in the mountains. My real challenge and "out of my comfort zone" is dealing with the world the rest of the year.
 

Winnie

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 13, 2020
Messages
185
Loved the book. Read it over the winter and I use principles discussed in the book once in a while. I have recommended it to a bunch of people.
 
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
965
Location
Montana
I heard the author on the Joe Rogan podcast and bought the book. I was not disappointed by the read and found it to be very interesting and motivating. I have always thought we as Americans have become “soft” in general due to good living post WW2, and even though we push ourselves in many of our hunting endeavors, we need to challenge ourselves more. Not just in outdoor pursuits but in other aspects of our lives as well.

I have since bought the book for several friends who hunt and/or have just retired to motivate them to get outside their comfort zone in life.

Thanks to MtWarden for bringing the book up on the forum, I think it should be in every Rokslider’s library.
 
Top