Malina Parmar

I once met a sailor, who seemed to have everything, yet in physical terms he owned all most nothing.
No house.
No car.
No basement full of shit he had forgotten about.
No rented storage units containing furniture he’d never use again.
No relationships with people who dragged him down or dumped their problems on him.
No jobs where he was responsible for showing up and building a career.
Just a simple sailboat.
He’d sail from Vancouver to Mexico, hang out for a bit, then head over to Hawaii. He’d work for a couple of weeks to save up enough to buy some more supplies, work on his boat and then he’d be off to the French Polynesian in the South Pacific.
He had a sense of calm about him. My favorite quote of his was, “I don’t make any plans, and I’m sticking to them.”
People often asked him about his life and seemed very envious of it. But he said when they realized he’d given up almost all material possessions, had no house, car, or vacation home, they knew it would just be a dream.
The societal pull is strong. We care so much what others think of us.
Probably my favorite all time quote:
“The things you own end up owning you. It’s only after you lose everything that you’re free to do anything.”
Isn’t it interesting then that most people act in completely the opposite way?
We don’t buy the house we need, we buy the house we can afford.
We chase the pay raises, promotions, and progression that take away our liberation. Each time those freshly printed business cards with a fancy new title roll off the printing press we feel great, but the reality is we just gave away a bit more of our soul.
Read Tim’s previous article on the ManTalks blog: “10 Simple Ways to Be More Selfish [And How it Helps You Avoid Anxiety 
There are ways to reverse this trend. Below I will share the five top ways to simplify.

How to Get More by Wanting and Having Less:

1: Rent, Don’t Own

Home ownership is a deeply rooted rite-of-passage in our society. Somehow it’s become the definition of ‘making it.’
While I do own real estate, I actually rent the house I live in.
This gives me way more flexibility in terms of where I want to live. People move house on average every 4-5 years anyway, so the concept of settling down is way overplayed.
It also means I don’t spend my weekends doing minor jobs around the house, living in home depot, or worrying about when I’ll have to replace the roof next.
I don’t think about putting in new kitchens, swimming pools, bathrooms, or wood floors.
I literally don’t care. Something breaks, I phone my landlord and he takes care of it. If I want to move, I could be gone in 30 days. The housing market won’t force me to stay.
A home is our biggest single investment, and it not only takes up the biggest chunk of our cash but also our time and mental space.
The result: I have more time, more money, and most importantly more mental peace.

2: Turn off the TV, Radio and Internet

According to various studies we are exposed to 5,000 + advertisements per day.
Wonder why you suddenly want something?
Why you NEED that new blender today?
Why you have to go and test drive a new car?
You deserve it right?
The advertisers have been working on you for a while, my friend. Subconsciously or consciously, it doesn’t really matter. But the fact is we are programmed to want to buy stuff.
You have the ability to control how many inbound messages you receive. Unless you become a recluse you probably can’t control them all, but you can make a dent.
Regular TV is a complete joke these days, with seemingly more ads than actual content. I simply have Netflix. It has no ads and great content. Next time you’re in the car practice NOT turning on the radio.
What’s that you hear? That’s silence. Weird right?
With more and more distractions in our world, cherish the moments when you have the ability to control the volume. Great ideas and thoughts won’t ever show up in your life it you’re constantly surrounded by the low level hum of busyness.

3 – Practice Negative Visualization

Hedonistic adaptation, also known as the hedonic treadmill, is the term used for what happens when we have extremely positive things happen in our lives, only for us to shortly thereafter settle back to our previous level of satisfaction.
An often cited example of this is past lottery winners, who rush out with their winnings to buy the Ferrari and mansion only to end up not only poorer than when they set out in the first place but also less satisfied. The same can happen with a relationship, a new house, a promotion at work.
Hedonistic adaption happens for a couple of reasons. First, say you get a new car. It’s fun to drive, faster than your old one and your friends are all impressed. After a while the car just becomes the norm for you and you get used to it.
The second potential effect is when, for instance, you get in shape, lose fat ,and build some muscle. Even if you are able to maintain this new shape you will adjust and get used to it and therefore it will become your new baseline.
You’ll be less impressed with yourself after a while.
The lesson here is to consider that whatever it is you want is unlikely to make you happy.
So, instead of working extra hard for the new swimming pool, just wait for a while and appreciate what you already have.
An alternative way to appreciate things: the Stoics recommended that we imagine losing things we value such as our job, house, and significant other.
They called it, “Negative Visualization.”
By using this technique we have the ability to truly appreciate what we have today with the understanding that it is only available to us temporarily and that nothing is guaranteed or forever.
The idea isn’t that you spend all day being negative but that you reflect a few times a day, allowing you to become more engaged in the present and grateful for what you already have.

4: Get Out of The Deferred Life Plan

The concept of getting in debt up to your eyeballs and then spending the best years of your life paying for that as you save for retirement is a terrible plan.
After reading the preceding points above this should come as a huge relief to you.  If you don’t need to buy all the things you know won’t actually bring you any happiness then you can avoid the trap of having to work 60 hour weeks for 40 or more years of your life.
You’re welcome.
I just saved you about 13 years of your life chasing the wrong goal.
When I left my job, I made many of these choices over time. I sold my primary residence, drastically downsized my living budget, and rented a cheaper place so that I just didn’t have to do jobs I didn’t want to do just to make money.
You have a choice: you can follow the conventional route of wanting a lot of stuff and buying a lot of stuff and therefore having to make a lot to pay for it. Or you can consciously design your life by not letting external desires get your attention.
Next time you want something, before you run out and buy it, consider that you may not actually need it, will likely have to work harder and longer to pay for it and if you do buy it at some point you won’t care about it anymore.
Read Tim’s previous article: 10 Simple Ways to Be More Selfish [And How it Helps You Avoid Anxiety] or listen to his interview on the ManTalks Podcast.
Tim JP Collins is The Breakthrough Anxiety Coach and supports people suffering with Anxiety, stress and panic attacks.  Tim’s approach isn’t just about coping, it’s about moving past Anxiety and fear to live the life you were destined for.
Tim worked in the corporate world as a Vice President of Sales for 15 years, so is well versed in the business space.  He ultimately decided that wasn’t for him and was drawn towards supporting others, to live anxiety and stress free while going big in their lives.
Tim has also spent time in Entrepreneurial and Real Estate fields, starting a business with his wife in 2007, in their spare time, which went on to be brand name in the infant market and was acquired in 2015.
Tim is the creator & host of “The Anxiety Podcast”​ Each week Tim interviews people that have stories that you will be able to relate to. The interviews are raw, real and vulnerable and people share what’s really going on for them.
Tim believes that the more out of alignment we are in our lives, the more Anxiety & Stress will show up.  So he really looks at the bigger picture when working with clients.
Connect with Tim on the Web, The Anxiety Podcast, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram
Or, if you’re feeling a little old fashion you can just email him: [email protected]
Like what you saw? Subscribe to the ManTalks podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, and join our private Facebook Community for conversations that matter. Facebook not your thing? Sign up to the ManTalks newsletter. Every week we’ll send you an email with the best articles and interviews we published that week.
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Episode: 033

If you’d like to be more fulfilled in your life, then take the time to reflect on what you’re grateful for.

 
Introduction:
UJ Ramdas is a passionate entrepreneur who incorporates practical psychology into easy-to-use products. He is the creator of The Five Minute Journal and The Productivity Planner. UJ explains why he and his team created The Five Minute Journal and The Productivity Planner and also shares why gratitude can make you a more successful person.
 

Listen to it on iTunes

Listen to it on Stitcher
 

 
Key Takeaways:
[2:00] What was UJ’s defining moment?
[3:45] What does UJ do?
[6:30] Why did UJ want to study behavioral science?
[9:30] You use business as a vehicle to help create a bigger impact in the world.
[10:10] UJ explains the difference between the conscious mind and the unconscious mind.
[13:55] Why would you want to use The Five Minute Journal?
[15:55] Why does The Five Minute Journal work?
[20:30] Why should you journal? Every journal has a purpose.
[23:55] What is the Productivity Planner about?
[29:45] What’s UJ most excited about in the upcoming months?
[31:30] So many people want to be productive, but they don’t know how to measure it.
[32:05] What legacy would UJ like to leave behind?
 

Music Credit:
J Parlange & Latenite Automatic (jesusparlange.com – lateniteautomatic.com)
 
Tweetables:
͆A business is a creative vehicle for the impact that you want to have in the world.”
͆A lot of the time, we bite off more than we can chew on a daily basis.”
͆Injecting more awareness into your daily task flow is going to help you.”
 

There is an old Zen story about a king whose people had grown soft and entitled. Dissatisfied with this state of affairs, he hoped to teach them a lesson. His plan was simple: He would place a large boulder in the middle of the main road, completely blocking entry into the city. He would then hide nearby and observe their reactions.

How would they respond? Would they band together to remove it? Or would they get discouraged, quit, and return home?

With growing disappointment, the king watched as subject after subject came to this impediment and turned away. Or, at best, tried halfheartedly before giving up. Many openly complained or cursed the king or fortune or bemoaned the inconvenience, but none managed to do anything about it.

After several days, a lone peasant came along on his way into town. He did not turn away. Instead he strained and strained, trying to push it out of the way. Then an idea came to him: He scrambled into the nearby woods to find something he could use for leverage. Finally, he returned with a large branch he had crafted into a lever and deployed it to dislodge the massive rock from the road.

Beneath the rock were a purse of gold coins and a note from the king, which said:

The obstacle in the path becomes the path. Never forget, within every obstacle is an opportunity to improve our condition.

What if you had the ability to flip your obstacles and turn them into opportunities?

Here are 10 historical strategies for doing just that—practiced by great men and women throughout the centuries.

STRATEGY 1: ALTER YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Man does not simply exist but always decides what his existence will be, what he will become the next moment. — Viktor Frankl

We chose how we look at things. How we approach an obstacle determines how daunting it will be to overcome.

By controlling our irrational emotions, we are able to see thing as they are, not as we perceive them to be.

Think of it as selective editing—not to deceive others, but to properly orient ourselves.

Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective.

STRATEGY 2: FLIP THE OBSTACLE ON ITS HEAD

There is good in everything, if only we look for it.— Laura Ingalls Wilder

The events that we initially perceive as negative all contain a positive, exposed benefit that we can recognize and act on.

A computer glitch that destroys your work is now a means to make it twice as good because you’re better prepared.

Having a terrible boss is now an opportunity to learn from his faults while you fill up your resume and look for better jobs elsewhere.

Notice this is a complete mental flip: Seeing through the negative, past its underside and through to the positive.

STRATEGY 3: STAY MOVING, ALWAYS.

We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My choice is to wear out. — Theodore Roosevelt

Those who attack problems and life with most initiative and energy usually win.

Courage is really just taking action. Start by saying yes to create momentum and you’ll be on your way.

Obstacles seem more intimidating when we stop to look up at them.

STRATEGY 4: FAIL CHEAPLY AND QUICKLY

What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first steps to something better. —Wendell Phillips

Engineers now like to quip: Failure is a Feature.

There’s nothing wrong with being wrong. Each time it happens, new options open up to us and problems can be flipped into opportunities.

When failure does come ask: Why did this happen? This helps birth alternative ways of doing what needs to be done. Failure puts you in corners you have to think your way out of and is a source of breakthroughs.

STRATEGY 5: FOLLOW THE PROCESS

Under the comb the tangle and the straight path are the same. — Heraclitus

In the chaos of life, process provides us a way.

For whatever obstacles you come across, take a breath, do the immediate, composite part in front of you—and follow its thread into the next action.

The process is about doing the little things, right now. Not worrying about what might happen later, or the results, or the whole picture.

STRATEGY 6: WHAT’S RIGHT IS WHAT WORKS

I don’t care if the cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice. — Deng Xiaoping

We spend a lot of time thinking about how things are supposed to be.

As they say in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it doesn’t matter how you get our opponent to the ground, only that you take them down.

Start thinking like a radical pragmatist: not on changing the world right at this moment,but ambitious enough to get everything you need.

Think progress, not perfection.

STRATEGY 7: USE THE FLANK ATTACK

Where little danger is apprehended, the more the enemy will be unprepared and consequently there is the fairest prospect of success. — George Washington

Think about this: In a study of more than 280 military campaigns, only two percent were decided on a direct attack on the enemy’s main army.

Being overmatched don’t have to be a disadvantage. It forces us to find workarounds, instead of challenging our enemy head on.

Remember, sometimes the longest way around is the shortest way home.

STRATEGY 8: USE THE OBSTACLE AGAINST ITSELF

Wise men are able to make a fitting use even of their enemies. — Plutarch

Action has many definitions. Sometimes you overcome obstacles not by attacking them but by withdrawing and letting them attack you.

A castle can be an intimidating, impenetrable fortress, or it can be turned into a prison when surrounded. The difference is simply a shift in action and approach.

So instead of fighting obstacles, find a means of making them defeat themselves.

STRATEGY 9: SEIZE THE OFFENSIVE

The best men are not those who have waited for chances but who have taken them; besieged chance, conquered the change, and made chance the servitor. — E.H. Chapin

Ordinary people shy away from negative situations and avoid trouble. What great people do is the opposite.

They never waste an opportunity to flip a personal tragedy or crisis to their advantage.

At certain moments in our brief existences we are faced with great trials. We must see that this “problem” presents an opportunity for a solution that we have long been waiting for.

It is in these moments that we must seize the offensive, because it is when people least expect it that we can pull off our biggest victories.

STRATEGY 10: FOCUS ON SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOURSELF

A man’s job is to make the world a better place to live in, so far as he is able—always remembering the results will be infinitesimal—and to attend to his own soul. — Leroy Percy

Sometimes when we are personally stuck with some impossible problem, one of the best ways to create opportunities or new avenues for movement is to think:

If I can’t solve this for myself, how can I at least make this better for other people?

You’ll be shocked by how much of the hopelessness lifts when we reach that conclusion—the strength that comes by thinking of people other than yourself.

The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way. — Marcus Aurelius

So when you’re frustrated in pursuit of your own goals, don’t sit there and complain that you don’t have what you want or that this obstacle won’t budge. If you haven’t even tried yet, then of course you will still be in the exact same place. You haven’t actually pursued anything.

All the greats we admire started by saying, Yes, let’s go. And they usually did it in less desirable circumstances than we’ll ever suffer.

Just because the conditions aren’t exactly to your liking, or you don’t feel ready yet, doesn’t mean you get a pass. If you want momentum, you’ll have to create it yourself, right now, by getting up and getting started.

The post appeared originally on the New York Observer.

Ryan Holiday is a strategist for bestselling authors and billion dollar brands like American Apparel, Tucker Max and Robert Greene. His work has been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube and Google and has been written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker and Fast Company.

Like what you saw? Subscribe to the ManTalks podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, and join our private Facebook Community for conversations that matter. Facebook not your thing? Sign up to the ManTalks newsletter. Every week we’ll send you an email with the best articles and interviews we published that week.

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A friend of mine shared the most remarkable insight with me the other day. Over the course of months, we’d been discussing his experiences of growing up in an abusive home. This led up to the bombshell words I couldn’t forget.

“You get to a point where there’s nothing left to do but die.”

My friend had it pretty bad; first his mother abused him while he was in the womb by drinking. When he was a kid, he was beat with sticks and closed fists by his dad. By the age of 12 he was supporting his family financially with hard labor. This hurt, as he watched his peers learn and grow together he was hustling for money.
Even with all the pain of growing up this way, he sought the approval of his parents, and from a young age he did this through his work. He was known to do the work of 4 adult men. As he grew up, he got a great job in a stable environment earning 6 figures by his early 20s. Even with that great job, something drove him back and he ended up working with his parents in business again, dragging them from a small, two-man operation up to a sizable business with 10+ full time staff.
Eventually, his parents pissed away the business, and even then they blamed him for the missing money and finally paid him the ultimate insult by telling him they never wanted to see him again.
They gave him shit and abuse for his whole life, and to this day, he’s struggling to be free of them.
The Words I Couldn’t Forget
After learning his story over the course of months, he shared his extraordinary insight. He said that  being as low as he’d been, after being kicked in the teeth enough times, after having enough dirt rubbed in his face, that at that low point, “There’s nothing left to do but die.”
These words have been stuck in my head ever since, and I’ve been thinking them over and over. In the conversation we had that day we had both noticed that he had developed something very much like a powerful intuition — a kind of superpower.
He operates on gut feeling a lot of the time. He trusts or doesn’t trust people based on these feelings. More often than not his gut feeling is correct. We agreed that this trait is prevalent in other friends with similar family histories. But, I kept thinking about his words.
What I Think It Means
Being abused takes you to a place you never want to go. When alone in those moments, you can very well imagine the option of death. “There is nothing left to do but die,” is an expression of that desperation. Dying is almost logical when you feel so destroyed. But it can also make you take another path. Through perseverance and effort you can eventually choose to say, “Fuck it. I don’t care what’s expected of me. I’m creating my own path.”
The truth is that there is nothing left to do but die or be reborn.
The Path My Friend Chose
The reason I even know this friend is because he chose to be reborn many times. He chose to do things that most would consider impossible. He chose to grow, change, and be better than the sum of his life experience. He chose to make a generational change and not do as his circumstances suggest he should. He chose to inspire and support. It’s a remarkable decision, and I believe one that some of the greatest among us have made.
The Saddest Path
My maternal grandfather chose death, in fact, he chose literal death by suicide. The overwhelm and fear ruled him. Unlike my friend he could not escape.
I don’t fault him. He did the best he could at the time.
Other Kinds of Death
Suicide is the extreme example, but I believe countless others are dying every single day. For example:
1) People who stay in shitty jobs or businesses they despise. It’s like taking a small dose of death every day. How do you bounce back from the insult that 5 of every 7 days brings you? Easy. You drink, drug, or medicate yourself through. You dream of escape to get out of your horrible position.
Always waiting for the weekend or the next holiday but always wanting out. Staying in a job or business you detest with no exit plan means choosing a slow death.
2) People who stay in relationships they detest. Imagine the double whammy for the ones who also hate their job. Staying in a relationship you hate is choosing death.
3) People who treat performance as their alleviation to the pain they feel. Many people have the intense desire to perform, even at the cost of their loved ones, their friendships, and their health. Unfortunately, the emptiness of this beyond-natural desire to perform will never lead to fulfillment. It will always be a slow death.
Be Reborn
Please note: I don’t believe you have to experience the kind of pain my friend felt in order to be reborn. I think many, many, many people feel significant pain, and it comes from different places. The question is this: when will the pain be bad enough for you to be reborn? If you’ve already been there, you’ll know what the other side looks like. I commend you, and I appreciate you. If you’re going there, I support you, and I know you can do it.  Don’t choose to death, whether slow or fast.
Choose life. Choose your second birth.
Read Zander’s previous article on ManTalks, “The Five Key Steps to Editing Your Life Story.” Or listen to him talk about story on the ManTalks podcast.
Zander Robertson is editor-in-chief of the ManTalks blog and has ghostwritten more than 20 books for major publishing houses and self publishers. Zander believes that the world turns on powerful, raw, and true stories. Read Zander’s article to begin understanding and owning your story, and email him at [email protected] to pitch your article idea for ManTalks.
Like what you saw? Subscribe to the ManTalks podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, and join the private ManTalks Facebook Community for conversations that matter. Facebook not your thing? Sign up to the ManTalks newsletter. Every week we’ll send you an email with the best articles and interviews we published that week.

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Episode: 032

Mark not only runs a restaurant group, but he fuels it with a deep passion and purpose for social enterprise.

 
Introduction:
Mark Brand opened his first restaurant in 2007 and went on to restore Save On Meats, a butcher shop founded in 1957. Save On Meats is not like any other butcher shop or lunch counter, because Mark has created a sustainable business model that serves the community. Mark states that by creating a business that stands for something, not only does that help the community as a whole, but he has seen fewer turnovers from his staff because they also believe in the bigger picture.
 

Listen to it on iTunes

Listen to it on Stitcher
 

 
Key Takeaways:
[1:45] Thank you Vancity Buzz for sponsoring us!
[2:45] What was Mark’s defining moment?
[6:55] How did Mark get started in the hospitality industry?
[9:20] Mark had an addiction problem, but he decided that wasn’t going to be his story.
[10:10] Mark opened his restaurant in a bad neighborhood and everybody told him it was a bad idea.
[15:25] Mark talks about the reality show he was a part of.
[18:10] Save on Meats isn’t just a restaurant; it has a big social component too.
[21:45] What’s one piece of advice Mark can share with those who are looking to start a non-profit?
[25:40] Mark has created a model where people can see how their dollar impacts others.
[30:55] What are some of Mark’s core values?
[32:35] How does Mark define success?
[34:55] Mark shares a few statistics.
[36:45] Why should business owners care about the bottom line? Because it’s the right thing to do!
[38:40] Millennials are looking for purpose-based businesses.
[39:30] Where does Mark see himself in ten years?
[41:30] Mark talks about the kind of legacy he would like to leave behind.
Mentioned in This Episode:
http://www.vancitybuzz.com/
https://mantalks.com/
http://www.markbrandinc.com/
http://saveonmeats.ca/
Quotes:
If you’re going to build something with somebody, call them to share their genius and co-create it.
How can we create upper mobility and stability for people who are struggling?
Companies are having issues keeping millennials. That’s because millennials are looking for
purpose-based businesses.
Music Credit:
J Parlange & Latenite Automatic (jesusparlange.com – lateniteautomatic.com)
 

 

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” — Anne Lamott

This is for the high-performers., the movers and shakers, the ones making an impact in the lives of others, their communities and the world.  

In other words — the ManTalks Tribe.

Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs to float. However, this post is specifically written for high-achievers like you and I that have a hard time switching off our overactive imaginations.

My name is Andy Zaremba. I’m a classic Type-A personality. I’m always striving to build and create. From running multiple businesses like The Float House, to podcasting, to speaking, to being a lover, father and spiritual seeker.

I always have multiple projects, and it’s a good thing. The average person lives somewhere in the middle of the bell curve, which is why most people are average.

Personally, the thought of living a mediocre life makes me cringe. The way I see it, we have one shot at this life.  One shot to make a difference, one shot share our gifts with others and one shot to give back to this amazing world we live in.

In the quest to make the world a better place, even the most self-aware and self-loving person can get caught up in the “doing” of life.

That’s why I believe it’s so important to have some sort of check-in (or maybe a check-out). Some way of unplugging from the hustle.  

Some like to get into nature. Others like to exercise. However, there’s no other form of disconnection from the rigors of life that rivals floating (also called sensory deprivation). 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of floating.

Vancouver, my home town, has quickly become the float capital of the world. My brother, Mike, and I are proud to have played a vital role in this growth.

We opened The Float House in 2013, making it Vancouver’s first Float Centre in over 20 years. Of course, many copycats have sprung up. Just like yoga, cold-pressed juice and taco shops, The Float House too has been copied. However, there are now five Float House locations in BC with more on the way.

…for the rock-dwellers of our community:  

What is a floating?

The water is heated to 93.5 F (the temperature of the surface of your skin), which makes the water skin receptor neutral and reduces tactile sensation. Because of the density created by the epsom salts solution, the effects of gravity on your body are minimized and you literally float as if you were in the Dead Sea.

The idea is to minimize the amount of sensory input being detected by our bodies.

Without sight, sound, tactile sensations and gravity, the float tank gives our bodies a much-needed and unique break from the constant stimulation we experience..

How Floating Minimizes the Effects of Stress

Bare with my while I get a little bit scientific…

We have two sides to our nervous system — the voluntary and the autonomic.

The voluntary system controls movements, like when your crushing a workout, playing basketball, or rolling on the jiu-jitsu mat. 

The autonomic system controls all the things you don’t want to think about like heart rate, breathing, organ functions, and sensory processing.  

The autonomic nervous system has two sides within it — the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems.

The sympathetic is responsible for the stress response, also known as, “Fight or Flight.”

[Editor’s Note: Click here to read all the nitty-gritty details about the Fight or Flight response on Wikipedia]

The parasympathetic system controls the relaxation response.  

It should be noted that the stress response is a normal biological process.  In the short term it is not only important, but it could save your life by giving you the needed burst of energy to survive a life threatening situation.

The problems start occurring once the stress becomes chronic, something our society seems designed for.

Effects of Chronic Stress:

Chronic stress is defined as a, “state of prolonged tension from internal or external stressors, which may cause various physical manifestations – e.g., asthma, back pain, arrhythmias, fatigue, headaches, HTN, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and suppress the immune system.”

In other words, it sucks.

Chronic stress takes a more significant toll on the body than acute stress does. It can raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, increase vulnerability to anxiety and depression, contribute to infertility, and hasten the aging process.

Results of one study demonstrated that individuals who reported relationship conflict lasting one month or longer to have a greater risk of developing illness and show slower wound healing. 

Similarly, the effects that acute stressors have on the immune system may be increased when there is perceived stress and/or anxiety due to other events. For example, students who are taking exams show weaker immune responses if they also report stress due to daily hassles.  

The Question Is: How Does Floating Help Reduce Chronic Stress?

Floating reliably generates the relaxation response in the body

The relaxation response is the counterpart to the fight or flight response, and it occurs when the body is no longer in perceived danger. When this happens, autonomic nervous system functioning returns to normal.

During the relaxation response, the body moves out of a state of physiological arousal — increased heart rate and blood pressure, slowed digestive functioning, decreased blood flow to the extremities, increased release of hormones like adrenalin and cortisol.

These are all the hallmark of fight or flight.

You then move to a state of physiological relaxation, where blood pressure, heart rate, digestive functioning and hormonal levels return to their normal state. Doesn’t that sound healthy?

Triggering the relaxation response helps any Type-A personality deal with the greatest performance killer on the planet: burn out.

Burning out will not only stop your productivity in its tracks, but it can literally kill you.

If you’re aiming to perform at a high level consistently you must manage your stress.

In many urban environments there is little seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the everyday life. The Float Tank is simply the best tool to combat burn out, so we go back out into the world to move mountains.

At the Float House, we have a great relationship with Connor and ManTalks. Before writing this I had a conversation with Connor about how we could serve the ManTalks community.

We agreed to offer a 20% discount on a single float to anyone reading this.

To claim your discount go to our website, book a float, and use the promo code, “recovery” to receive a 20% discount on of a single float. 

The offer will only be available for the next two weeks, so please do it now if you’re interested.

Now go out and build your empire…peacefully.

Listen to Andy discuss floating, psychedelics, and the experience of having a daughter born prematurely on the ManTalks Podcast.

Andy Zaremba is co-founder (along with his brother Mike) of The Float House, one of the world’s leading floating and sensory deprivation companies. The Float House has 5 locations in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, including their cornerstone location in Gastown, Vancouver.

Andy is also co-host of the hugely popular Vancouver Real Podcast, the Canadian West Coast affiliate of the world renowned London Real with Brian Rose.

Like what you saw? Subscribe to the ManTalks podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, and join our private Facebook Community for conversations that matter. Facebook not your thing? Sign up to the ManTalks newsletter. Every week we’ll send you an email with the best articles and interviews we published that week.

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Episode: 031

Your results are your credentials. Do not pay too much attention to the ‘certification’ paper.

 
Introduction:
Lewis Howes is a lifestyle entrepreneur, business coach, author, and podcaster. He is also a contributing writer for Entrepreneur magazine and Yahoo.com, and has been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, and The New York Times. Lewis shares with us why he has such a passion for greatness and how being a pro athlete has made him not only a better entrepreneur, but a better person as well.
And Lewis will be joining us for a special event on April 9, live in Vancouver. Tickets are on sale now. GET TICKETS HERE
 

Listen to it on iTunes

Listen to it on Stitcher
 

 
[1:30] ManTalks is hosting an event on April 9th, 2016. And Lewis will be there!!
[2:25] What was Lewis’s defining moment?
[3:25] How did Lewis take his power back?
[4:50] Ask your friends where your blind spots are.
[6:40] The greatest leaders in the world learn how to connect in intimate and vulnerable ways.
[8:25] Where did Lewis’s passion for greatness come from?
[13:05] Lewis talks about the ‘seasons’ in his life.
[15:10] What lessons did Lewis learn when he was a pro athlete?
[17:45] What does a champion’s mindset look like?
[19:30] Your results are your credentials.
[19:50] Belief carries you to the championships.
[21:55] What does hustle mean to Lewis?
[28:20] What does Lewis plan to talk about at the ManTalks event? He gives us a teaser.
[29:55] Lewis talks about what he’s excited about these days.
[30:25] You get a free copy of Lewis’s book if you join the ManTalks event.
 

 
Music Credit:
J Parlange & Latenite Automatic (jesusparlange.com – lateniteautomatic.com)