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May 25, 2024 • 1hr 31min
#788 - Mo Gawdat - How To Save Your Brain From The Dangers Of Stress & Anxiety
Modern Wisdom
Mo Gawdat is an entrepreneur, former Chief Business Officer at Google, and author of "Solve for Happy" and "Unstressable". In this episode, he discusses why the modern world is so stressful for everyone and how we can assess and reduce our stress levels. He argues that stress is not inevitable or necessary for success, but rather a choice in how we respond to life's challenges. The conversation covers the biological mechanisms of stress, different types of stress, and practical strategies for becoming "unstressable".
#788 - Mo Gawdat - How To Save Your Brain From The Dangers Of Stress & Anxiety
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Key Takeaways
- Stress is not inevitable or necessary for success - It's a choice in how we respond to challenges
- We can become "unstressable" by prioritizing calm and peace over stress and busyness
- Stress comes from challenges divided by our abilities/resources to handle them, not just from external events
- The biological stress response only lasts 90 seconds - After that we choose to perpetuate it
- We break under 3 conditions: trauma, burnout (repetitive stress), or anticipation of threats (fear/anxiety)
- Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual stress are interconnected and need to be addressed holistically
- Simple practices like gratitude, yielding, human connection, and listening to your body can reduce stress significantly
- Spiritual stress comes from living without purpose and ignoring our intuition
- Small consistent changes over time can transform our relationship with stress
Introduction
Mo Gawdat is an entrepreneur, former Chief Business Officer at Google, and author of "Solve for Happy" and "Unstressable". In this episode, he discusses why the modern world is so stressful for everyone and how we can assess and reduce our stress levels. He argues that stress is not inevitable or necessary for success, but rather a choice in how we respond to life's challenges. The conversation covers the biological mechanisms of stress, different types of stress, and practical strategies for becoming "unstressable".
Topics Discussed
The Nature of Stress in the Modern World (04:36)
Mo argues that we have designed the modern world to be stressful based on the belief that stress is an acceptable tax we pay for success. However, he contends this is a flawed assumption:
- Stress is not just about external events, but how we respond to them
- Our stress level = challenges we face / our abilities and resources to handle them
- We can choose to engage with the modern world without being overly stressed
He challenges the notion that stress is necessary for high performance, citing examples of creativity, flow states, and harmonious teamwork that occur without stress.
The Biology of Stress (08:38)
Mo explains the biological stress response:
- Cortisol rush lasts only 90 seconds to prepare for fight/flight
- After 90 seconds, we have a choice to perpetuate stress or not
- Chronic stress prevents engagement of the parasympathetic nervous system
- This interferes with vital functions like digestion, muscle repair, relaxation
"Because we are not designed as a machine to be under stress all the time, we're never allowing our parasympathetic nervous system to engage..."
Breaking the Stress Cycle (12:13)
Mo outlines three conditions under which we "break" from stress:
- Trauma - Intense stress exceeding our ability to cope
- Burnout - Repetitive stress over time
- Anticipation of threats - Fear, worry, anxiety about potential stressors
He notes that trauma is not the main cause of the stress epidemic, as most people recover. Rather, burnout and anticipatory stress are bigger issues.
Shame and Stress (13:51)
The discussion touches on how shame compounds stress:
- We feel ashamed for being affected by stressors
- This creates a cycle of stress about being stressed
- Can lead to emotional numbness over time
Mo emphasizes that this "comfortably numb" state is common but problematic.
Choosing to Become Unstressable (17:24)
Mo argues that the first step to reducing stress is making a conscious choice:
- Choose to prioritize calm and peace over stress
- Challenge ingrained scripts about needing stress to succeed
- Recognize that the same actions produce results whether stressed or not
- Being calm allows more focus on productive work vs. managing stress
"If you choose three [deals] that are likely to happen, or the customer is committed where everything's working well, you're more likely to close those than you are if you focus on eleven."
Productivity and Stress (23:24)
The conversation explores how stress relates to productivity:
- People often prioritize looking busy over actual results
- Many work hard but achieve little due to stress and inefficiency
- We're not "indebted to the universe" to be productive every moment
- Reframing our relationship with time and productivity can reduce stress
The Four Types of Stress (27:02)
Mo outlines four interconnected types of stress:
- Mental stress
- Emotional stress
- Physical stress
- Spiritual stress
He emphasizes that these interact and influence each other, creating cycles of stress that can be hard to break.
Emotional Stress and Awareness (54:12)
Mo discusses the importance of emotional awareness:
- Emotions are often suppressed or ignored in modern society
- All emotions, even uncomfortable ones, serve a purpose
- Learning to identify and understand our emotions reduces stress
- Emotions provide valuable intelligence if we listen to them
"Your emotions are trying to get your attention, believe it or not, for a positive reason. Even then, the uncomfortable emotions..."
Physical Stress and Body Awareness (1:11:56)
Mo shares his personal experience with physical stress:
- The body communicates through aches, pains, and discomforts
- Many ignore these signals and push through, causing more damage
- Addressing inflammation through diet made a huge difference for him
- Suggests establishing a baseline of how a rested, healthy body feels
- Use deviations from this baseline as signals to address stress
Spiritual Stress and Purpose (1:18:19)
Mo explains the concept of spiritual stress:
- Relates to our non-physical being or consciousness
- Manifests as a sense of lacking purpose or ignoring intuition
- Can create a feeling of misalignment even if externally successful
- Often communicated through intuition rather than logical thought
"Spiritual stress is simply a purposeless life. Your spirit is not stressed. It is stressed that you're not catching up to where you need to be."
Practical Steps to Reduce Stress (1:27:16)
Mo offers advice for those feeling overwhelmed by stress:
- Start with one small change - don't try to transform everything at once
- Practice "committed acceptance" - accept current reality while committing to gradual improvement
- Invest time consistently in personal growth (e.g. reading, learning)
- Make tomorrow slightly better than today, compounding over time
"Just make tomorrow a little better than today."
Conclusion
Mo Gawdat presents a compelling case that stress is not an inevitable part of modern life, but rather a choice in how we respond to challenges. By understanding the biology of stress, becoming aware of our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual states, and implementing small consistent changes, we can dramatically reduce our stress levels. The key is to prioritize calm and peace over the cultural scripts that glorify stress and busyness. With practice, we can learn to engage fully with life while remaining "unstressable".