Are we living too comfortably for our own good? For most of us - Yes.

Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? Have you broken them yet?  

I used to make them, but stopped years ago because they made me feel like a failure when I failed to meet them. I reasoned that if I set a low enough bar, I would never disappoint myself again, and this included no more promises to improve. And, for quite a few years now, that philosophy has served me well.  

This year though, but only by coincidence, sort of, I do plan to make some life changes that coincide with the new year. To first explain why it is a “sort of “coincidence, our oldest son Quentin is home for the holidays from Toronto, and he brought a library book with him. He thought I’d like it so I read it when he was done. I ended up inspired by it at New Years, only because that’s when I read it. So, these are NOT New Year’s resolutions. They are resolutions that happen to be made at New Years. Confused yet? If so, sorry about that. Hopefully the rest of this blog will be easier to follow.  

I seldom endorse books in my blog. In fact, I think the last time I wrote a blog on a book was more than a year ago. It was The Sun Does Shine, the true story of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. I found it moving, infuriating, and inspirational, and I thought others would find it so as well. But because what people like in books is so subjective, and tastes vary so much, it is only rarely I devote a blog to one.  

This is one of those rare times.  

The Comfort Crisis is at once enlightening insight, solid science, and fascinating adventure. It focuses on the harm we are doing to our physical and mental health in areas as far ranging as how technology is robbing us on the benefits of boredom, to our diet and lifestyle, to even to the way we consider death.  

Michael Easter. Photo Credit: scmp.com

The author is an award-winning journalist and professor by the name of Michael Easter. The common denominator throughout his book is how we have become too comfortable and too far removed from nature, and how that is hurting us physically, mentally, and affects our happiness. His research is not only impeccable and his examples compelling, but in this book, he also walks the walk, pushing himself well outside his comfort zone. In this case being dropped off for a month to survive in the Arctic wilderness.  The way he weaves this adventure throughout the solid content and the lessons the book offers is quite masterful.  

Reading it left me with an understanding of the trade-offs most of us don’t realize we are making for the comforts we enjoy. And how there is much to be gained, both personally and as a society, in stretching beyond those comforts, and embracing adversity and discomfort.  As one of the book’s endorses puts it on the back cover: “Shows why human greatness seldom rises from a perch of comfort and ease – and what you can do to maximize growth and fulfilment.”  

Photo Credit: medicalnewstoday.com

To be sure, much of the lessons are things I already knew; tidbits that I picked up somewhere along the line. But they are re-enforced in a way that really drives them home. Among other life changes I plan to incorporate, embracing boredom because of the science-based benefits to the mind and creativity, and to spend more time in nature as its benefits are considerable as well. Not that I will head to the wilds of the Arctic mind you, but maybe Odell Park or around Kilarey Lake, and maybe even an overnight or two in Fundy. Hope so anyway.  

Meantime, search out the book and read it. You can thank me later. And do let me know what you thought.  

Not related to the book, but I am also going to try to write more this year, including more blogs. We’ll see how that goes.

Thanks for reading. As always, shares are appreciated.