Member-only story
Why You Need to ‘Climb a Mountain’ and How
You’re soft, and you know it. So here’s a 9-step guide to getting out of your comfort zone for sheer exhilaration and improved well-being.
For two years I’ve been trying to climb a nearby mountain. Well, a hill actually, but a very steep one. On my mountain bike. At my age! Monthly I’ve tried and failed at what would’ve been a cinch in my 20s. But I never faced this particular mountain back then. It’s new to me. And this therefore unprecedented quest has been incredibly invigorating.
It’s also taken me way out of my comfort zone.
And as with any worthwhile challenge in life, the prospect of succeeding at something hard promises short-term elation and a long-lasting sense of capability and possibility. That, of course, is why we climb mountains — real or otherwise. Or why we used to, anyway.
Modern society has engineered movement out of our lives by removing age-old motivational stressors, argues Michael Easter, author of The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self.
While our ancestors spent serious time and energy finding food and shelter and avoiding deadly creatures lurking in the bushes, nowadays food is delivered to our doorsteps and…
