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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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The Stress Code summary
Richard Sutton
From Surviving to Thriving: A Scientific Model
24 mins
Topics
Table of Contents
The Stress Code
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
Our fast-paced world and hunger for success are increasing our stress levels.
We’ve all heard the warnings. Our busy lives are sending us into a spiral of stress. Health experts around the world are telling us to slow down, take time off, and implement more work-life balance. Many of us have taken up yoga and meditation to calm our nerves, or are simply popping pills to help us get some sleep.
All of this raises the question, why are we so stressed?
Here’s the key message: Our fast-paced world and hunger for success are increasing our stress levels.
According to author Richard Sutton, our physical and mental well-being depends on our ability to establish balance in our lives. If we’re balanced, we’re able to move easily between states of arousal and regeneration – or, activity and rest.
The problem is, modern society makes it impossible for us to maintain our balance for several reasons.
For one thing, being constantly connected via technology makes it harder for us to defend our free time. We’re available 24 hours a day to respond to work calls or emails, or reply to friends or family that need our support. As a result, our schedules are brimming with things to do and people to attend to – while time for ourselves is often left off the list.
Another reason is this: admiration of success and an intolerance of failure is fast becoming the norm in our society.
Whether we realize it or not, all of us are pushing ourselves to be bigger and better than ever before. At the same time, our desire to compete, and ultimately succeed, is steadily increasing. Now, longer working hours, extended work weeks, and less annual leave are commonplace in working environments. Is it any wonder that our stress levels are skyrocketing?
The bad news is that it’s only getting worse. According to a study completed by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine and the University of California, Los Angeles, the average person in developed society experiences between four and five episodes of stress every week.
For many of us, life often feels like walking a tightrope: we try to move forward steadily, but personal and professional pressures always threaten to push us off balance. That’s why learning to manage stress – and even to harness it for our benefit – is crucial. We’ll take a look at this in the following blinks.
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What is The Stress Code about?
The Stress Code (2018) explores the role that stress plays in our everyday lives. It examines why stress is deadly to our health, and what effects it has on the global economy. Sutton offers science-backed strategies for stress management to help you improve your mental and physical health and to achieve your potential on a personal and professional level.
Best quote from The Stress Code
Stress has become highly prevalent in a world geared towards over-arousal.
—Richard Sutton
Who should read The Stress Code?
- Stressed-out people needing to press pause on their busy lives
- Professionals seeking a better work-life balance
- People recovering from chronic stress
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