For as much as the world talks about the importance of relieving and avoiding stress, we need to remember that stress is important, too. Some stressors certainly do have negative net effects, such as the chronic low-level stressors related to career, family turmoil, poor diet, etc. But stress is also a piece of the human equation. It’s the foundation of both species evolution and personal evolution. And without stress, the human system is deprived of an elemental piece of human existence.

A strange illustration of this phenomenon can be seen in the high rates of depression and suicide among the retired. At a time when comfort and ease is at an all-time high -- no work, fewer obligations, more freedom and opportunity -- folks are less happy and less fulfilled than other.

Many people are in a unique position today to be living in a time and place that could be described as “the death of true stress.” Not chronic stressors like traffic or a poor work environment or mounting debt -- those are growingly present and detrimental -- but stressors innate to human history: cognitive stress, existential stress, and especially physical stress. This unique position means that we now need to, in a sense, create our own stressors. Physical stress is the most evident example. Our existence no longer demands physical capacity or prowess for survival and success, and so we have to create the stressors (exercise) to develop our physicality and give our bodies the opportunity to develop and evolve.

Stress matters. Seek it out in the right forms, embrace it, and develop yourself.

- PS

12/11/17

• With a 20 minute continuously running clock, complete:

• (Mins 0-5): 12-9-6 reps of:

• Box jumps (30”/24”)

• Toes to bar

• (Mins 5-10): 15-12-9 reps of:

• Pull-ups

• Burpees

• (Mins 10-15): 21-15-9

• Sit-ups

• Push-ups

• (Mins 15-20): 27-21-15

• Squats

• 100’ bear crawl