The Comfort Crisis

Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

by Michael Easter

This book suggests that modern life's comforts are causing health problems. The solution? Get used to being uncomfortable. This could mean camping in the wild or thinking about death.

About the author

Michael Easter writes for Men's Health magazine and teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This is his first book.

Our comfortable modern lives aren't making us happy.

Every day, the author woke up in a soft bed. He drove to work and sat in a comfy chair. When he got bored, he looked at his phone. At night, he watched TV on a soft couch and ate junk food. Even his workouts were comfortable, in a cool gym.

In some ways, life was good. He'd worked hard to get this peaceful life. But one day he wondered, What if I gave up all these comforts?

For thousands of years, daily life was hard - a fight to stay alive. Our ancestors were always moving, looking for food and shelter. Only recently did people start to enjoy the comforts we take for granted, like always having food.

Our lives are easier now, but easier doesn't mean happier. In fact, many people seem more stressed and sad than ever. Instead of physical struggles, we now face mental ones, like worry and burnout. Trying to feel better with food, alcohol, and screens just makes us feel worse.

Humans naturally seek comfort, but it's not always good for us. Some experts think we were actually happier thousands of years ago. Our needs were simpler and easier to meet, and we lived in the moment naturally.

After thinking about his very comfortable life, the author decided to try being uncomfortable. He planned a month-long hunting trip in Alaska, sleeping in a tent. He would have none of the comforts of modern life.

This trip changed him. After just a few days, he felt calmer, fitter, and more connected to nature.

You might not want to camp in Alaska. But as you'll see next, there are many other ways to change your life through discomfort.