In manufacturing, we’re all familiar with stress. But did you know that a lack of challenges and too much comfort can also have a negative impact on your health, mindset, and productivity? This is the core concept Paul Taylor presents in his great book Death by Comfort: How Modern Life is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It. As a former British Royal Navy crew member and a current Ph.D. candidate in applied psychology, Paul has in-depth knowledge about stress, resilience, and performance.

In this episode on stress, comfort, and psychological safety, Paul draws from his own experiences and research to delve deeper into why discomfort and challenging situations build confidence and resilience, plus shares some of his favorite methods for rethinking how you perceive stress and engage with your team.

2:20 – In manufacturing, stress can be inevitable, so you need to find the right level of stress in your environment
3:36 - You can use principles from physical fitness and apply them to stress management
7:11 – To stay healthy and keep a productive mindset, you need to balance stress and recovery
11:54 – When you practice self-efficacy and do hard tasks, it builds your confidence
16:21 – Uncomfortable yet necessary conversations play a key role in workplace environments
17:38 – To change and improve how you give feedback and have challenging conversations, use the SBI (situation-behavior-impact) model
18:36 – Use the OARS model for motivational interviewing to encourage open questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summarizing
24:58 – Take time to understand your purpose and the impact of your work
24:58 – Don’t overlook the role of accountability in psychological safety

Connect with Paul Taylor
Visit his website
Listen to The Paul Taylor Podcast
Buy Death by Comfort on Amazon or at your favorite bookseller
Read my book report on Death by Comfort