The Surprising Reason Why Making Life Harder Can Boost Your Health
For most of human history, life was hard. Really hard. Even the most basic tasks that we take for granted today were a struggle.
Water wasn’t available on demand with the flick of a finger, it required hiking to a fresh water source and slogging heavy receptacles back home. Food wasn’t delivered upon request using a few thumb taps, it required hunting and foraging, lugging that food home, then preparing it over a fire. And that fire wasn’t instant either! There was hiking to find wood, cutting it up, then carrying it back to the tribe.
Enjoying the meal wasn’t done in a temperature controlled room while seated in a comfy chair. Humans sat on the ground and constantly fidgeted to find a comfortable position.
In other words, life sucked.
This version of life seems like it was eons ago. When put into the big picture of human existence, however, it is much closer than many people realize. What is astounding is the rate at which science and technology have evolved and taken humans from wild to domesticated to fragile. Many people are soft suburbanites that rarely do anything remotely challenging or even break a sweat.
It is time to embrace the suck.
Find ways to make life a little more challenging everyday. Avoid being comfortable all of the time. Skip the escalator and take the stairs. Stop waiting with the blinker on for the parking spot closest to the entrance and park in the back of the lot. Better yet, take a backpack and walk or bike to the store! Skip the gym and train outdoors in the elements. Experience the heat, cold, wind, and rain. Don’t hire someone to spread the mulch in the garden, grab a shovel and embrace the suck!
A recent study found that a staggering 98% of people take the escalator instead of the stairs when given the option. Ninety eight percent!
Take the stairs. Be a 2 percenter. Make life a little harder. That approach will strengthen the body and the mind. Avoid always taking the path of least resistance. Instead, find ways to pepper more resistance into daily activities and reap the health benefits for a lifetime.
