Easter states that Misogi goes beyond wilderness experiences and encourages growth by pushing comfort zones. During his expedition, Easter and his companions relied only on what they could carry, highlighting self-reliance and adaptability. The impact of Misogi is evident when experiences from these trials integrate into daily life, changing how one approaches discomfort. By engaging in demanding endeavors, Easter argues that embracing discomfort can significantly improve one's ability to handle life's challenges.

“Comfort creep”

In The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter examines how reliance on modern conveniences impacts resilience, health, and fulfillment. He critiques the "addiction to comfort" and its role in fostering sedentary lifestyles and mental health issues. Climate-controlled environments and plentiful fast food reduce encounters with natural challenges. This results in what Easter calls "comfort creep." The preference for convenience—such as choosing cars over walking—creates a society averse to exertion. This retreat from challenges lowers physical activity levels and contributes to obesity and chronic diseases. Easter argues that deliberately leaving comfort zones can reverse these effects. By embracing discomfort, society may improve health and well-being. Easter's personal experiences and research support this perspective.

The science behind beneficial discomfort

In The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter explores the science behind the benefits of intentional discomfort. The book focuses on the concept of hormesis, which suggests that mild stress can boost resilience and health. Easter investigates types of "good stress" like fasting, exercise, and cold exposure. Fasting, for example, triggers autophagy, a process that supports cellular repair and longevity. In the Alaskan wilderness, Easter encounters significant physical and mental challenges similar to those faced by ancestors dealing with environmental stressors. 

Easter also examines cold exposure's advantages. Activities such as cold showers or ice baths may improve circulation and mental fortitude. Engaging in these discomforts mirrors ancestral practices, potentially enhancing physical and mental resilience. Easter argues that stepping away from constant comfort is crucial for personal growth and health.

Practices for embracing discomfort

In The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter presents practices that encourage leaving comfort zones, developing resilience, discovering personal strengths, and enhancing physical health, mental toughness, and overall well-being. These practices include rucking, the military discipline of walking with a weighted backpack; engaging with nature; embracing silence and boredom; and taking on personal challenges.

Quick facts

• The Comfort Crisis explores the evolutionary need for humans to embrace challenges and discomfort for improved health and happiness.

• Michael Easter spent 33 days in Alaska hunting caribou to experience firsthand the benefits of discomfort.

• Easter also traveled to Bhutan to explore happiness beyond material growth.

• The Comfort Crisis has been adopted by MLB teams, NCAA programs, and universities.

• Easter popularized the Japanese concept of Misogi, an epic personal challenge with a 50/50 chance of success for self-discovery and resilience.

• Activities such as fasting, rucking, and cold exposure are recommended in the book to introduce discomfort and enhance health.

• The Comfort Crisis critiques modern society's addiction to comfort, linking it to increased stress, obesity, anxiety, and depression.

• Easter integrates his personal experiences and expert interviews to support insights on discomfort and personal growth.

• The Comfort Crisis emphasizes that modern convenience occupies a tiny fraction of human evolutionary history.

• Easter argues that boredom is essential for fostering creativity and productivity.

• Easter discusses the concept of “comfort creep,” explaining how increasing comfort decreases tolerance for minor discomforts.

• The Comfort Crisis connects embracing challenges to developing better resilience, mental toughness, and overall life satisfaction.

• The audiobook version of The Comfort Crisis is narrated by Easter himself.

About the author 

Michael Easter is a journalist and lecturer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He examines health and human behavior, questioning modern lifestyle practices. His experiences worldwide contribute to his book The Comfort Crisis. Easter argues that embracing discomfort can enhance human potential. His work combines firsthand experiences and scientific research to explore connections between current comforts and ancestral resilience.