A plush leather sofa, a 72-degree room, and a bowl of ice cream are all staples of American comfort.  However, can there be too much of a good thing?

Author Jeff Gardner, PhD joined Drew to discuss his article about getting out of the cycle of comfort. Gardner proposes a five-step approach to “avoid distractions, tackle hard things, and reduce our overall anxiety.”

Prayer  

“Prayer is at the top of the list,” Gardner said, “because it will help calm you down.” He recommends praying with the Scriptures and reading Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning. Garder also emphasized the importance of thanksgiving in prayer, “Praising and adoring God daily is THE key to reminding ourselves that no, everything does not depend on us.”

Exercise

Taking care of the body can also help reduce anxiety. Gardner says the best research suggests, “You need just 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week to stay healthy.” According to John Ratey MD, clinical professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical school, getting your heart rate up and exercising in nature can help also help.

Fasting

Gardner says fasting, even for short durations can be good for us; “we need to work at disconnecting emotions from food and relearn what eating is for: nutrition and health.” Even a short 12-hour fast can be beneficial. Garder also mentioned there’s “emerging evidence that imbalance in gut bacteria can affect our brains [and] can drive depression.”

Media Fast  

A food fast can be accompanied by a tech fast. “Media,” Gardner told Drew, “is here to make us anxious, to give us a sense of urgency and then to make us do something.” Our overreliance on technology to make us feel better inhibits our ability to help ourselves, Gardner said. He recommends putting phones away for hours a day and making the dinner table a media-free zone.

Getting Cold

Finally, Gardner recommends cold showers or cold baths. “Like fasting,” Gardner wrote, “cold exposure brings tremendous physical benefits and… combats anxiety and depression. It also teaches you how to control your urge to run for comfort when distressed.” Taking a shower or bath when the temperature “is at or below 58 F°” helps one “get the full benefit of cold emersion.”

Listen to the full conversation here