Is It Possible to Find Peace During a Period of High Stress? #135

If you’re going through a period of high stress and you can’t just take time off, this episode is about how to create genuine pockets of peace anyway. I’ve been experimenting with some ridiculously simple ways of switching off properly after work, and somehow I’ve ended up having some of the most peaceful moments I’ve experienced in years.A lot of it comes down to removing stimulation; shutting the laptop, turning the phone off and basically doing nothing for a bit. That’s also led to some pretty strange moments of presence, including feeling weirdly connected to a dog and walking through the sea thinking the waves felt almost alive. It’s not about learning to tolerate an unsustainable life; it’s about finding peace while you’re working your way through a difficult chapter.If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xIf you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_Chapters:00:00 Can stress and peace exist at the same time?01:30 Making the most of limited downtime02:54 “But you live in paradise”03:31 Knowing when to stop working04:45 The simplest way I’ve found to switch off08:47 Getting your phone out of the equation11:25 Replacing your phone with a journal12:38 When ordinary life starts feeling vivid13:48 “I felt like a dog”15:55 When the ocean felt alive17:56 Extreme work needs extreme rest18:48 Don’t use this to tolerate an unsustainable life19:26 Eustress, “dick stress” and losing the plot20:00 Stress doesn’t have to disappear to feel peace🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xAll my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Ed Latimore is a professional heavyweight boxer, Army National Guard veteran, physics graduate and writer. In this conversation, we explore AI, learning, identity, fatherhood and why “efficiency is a false god.”We also discuss chess, dyslexia, creativity, sobriety, digital life, personal constraints and how difficult experiences can become unexpected advantages.If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xIf you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_Chapters:00:00 Trailer00:52 Fatherhood & Becoming the Dad He Never Had06:00 Authenticity in the Age of AI13:06 Why Ed Loves Chess20:06 How Boxing Taught Ed How to Learn34:00 AI, LLMs & the Hard Work of Thinking45:01 “Efficiency Is a False God”55:18 Reading, Dyslexia & Intelligence1:04:04 Why Constraints Become Advantages1:18:22 Old Identities & What We Choose to Resurrect1:29:03 Likability & Emotional Control1:34:37 What’s Next for Ed Latimore🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xAll my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.comhttps://x.com/EdLatimorehttps://edlatimore.com/abouthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/edlatimore/https://www.youtube.com/@EdLatimore1

This was my first HYROX of 2026 and the first since the back injury I picked up in Bali a couple of months ago. As a result, I was nowhere near the level of training I was used to before a race. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn't expect to be surrounded by the medical team.Join me as I journey from Phuket to Bangkok for this Thailand vlog. I also ventured around Bangkok for 4 days and show you some of the sights along the way. This is not your typical Bangkok travel vlog, so don't expect all the tourist spots. It mainly involves me wandering around hot and flustered, getting lost, and an emotional visit to Khao San Road, 9 years after my first-ever backpacking trip, where it all began.If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xIf you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ky3sQEMwUM&list=PLMebuClQRf09N1EW4xaBRDZJQqPlDB_5BChapters:0:00 Are you okay?0:15 Phuket Airport (and the gangster taxi driver)1:04 I've left it in the taxi2:29 Faster is safer3:15 First morning in Bangkok4:06 Pre-race prep is not going well4:41 Khao San Road, 9 years on5:43 I don't deserve to be here6:57 Race morning7:55 No gels. Haribo it is9:04 HYROX Bangkok (the race)9:16 The medic10:11 The day after11:17 Honest reflection on the result12:05 Grab bike to Sukhumvit15:45 The crash17:35 Massage18:29 Khao San at night19:01 Meet Kevin21:01 Aging documentary filmmaker🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xAll my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

This week I handed over the keys of my email to ChatGPT and it got me thinking about the challenges and opportunities of AI. I thought it might be useful for you to hear the perspective of an employer, podcaster, creator, and my observations on how it's changing the world of travel and outcomes for non-native English speakers.If this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xIf you like this type of episode, you'll probably like any of the following: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_Chapters:00:00 intro: i feel like AI continually solves one problem but then creates another00:09 why I'm changing my mind on receiving AI-generated podcast invitations 03:41 my predictions on the future of email as AI monitored emails become the new norm 04:52 my experiences this week during a staff recruitment drive, and the effects that AI is having for both myself and applicants08:35 non-native English speakers are learning from cheaply generated AI-slop TikTok content. Is this a good or bad? 10:35 if everything can be instantly translated, is there now zero incentive for non-natives to learn English? 13:07 the beginnings of a huge drop in the price of AI and the effect this will have on society 13:37 OpenAI vs Anthropic: why competition for these two behemoths is great for consumers and business owners 14:45 what do I mean when I say “insight over knowledge”?15:22 closing thoughts🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xAll my other stuff: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Nine years ago I left Gili Trawangan with no money, a banging head, and a boat to Komodo I nearly missed.This week I went back with Mica and Tomi, now alcohol-free, to see what's changed.Turns out, mostly me.We island-hop from Bali to Gili T and finish on Gili Air. Plenty of boats, chats with locals, my not-funny-funny toilet humour, Borat impressions, a masturbation joke or two, and the deep chats you'd expect:Is life one big illusion? If everything you experience is your brain interpreting and projecting the signals it can decode, what are you actually looking at?This one's emotional for me. It was the last weekend Mica, Tomi and I had together, and I'll treasure it.Same island. Completely different chapter.FEATURED IN THIS EPISODEMica: https://www.instagram.com/micaturrinTomi: https://www.instagram.com/nomadtomiMore vlogs with Mica and Tomi:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09N1EW4xaBRDZJQqPlDB_5BIf this one's got you thinking about what chapter you're in right now, I built something for exactly that. The Chapter System: https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xChapters:00:00 No money, no signal, three boat tickets02:05 Getting to the port05:20 The crossing14:00 Beach stop17:28 Gili T, nine years later19:30 What's changed on the island25:55 Cafe chats: preloading philosophy31:30 The joke that didn't land42:50 Is life one big illusion?47:30 My last night here, nine years ago53:00 On to Gili Air55:45 Our last weekend ends🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://bit.ly/4gw6m6xNewsletter: https://awakenoutofcontext.com

Get the exact system I designed and live by to set my goals. It's ten dollars, and it's how you can support the show without me ever asking you to buy me a coffee: https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfIf you're trying to grow a social media page from nothing, thinking about betting on yourself and going all in on a side hustle, or you're a runner curious about what elite coaching actually looks like (your form, your footwear, your easy runs, all of it), this episode covers the lot.Myles Rawson grew his Instagram from nothing to 300,000 followers in around 12 months. This is the full story of how, from the man himself.When we first spoke, his channel had just started blowing up. In this one we go right back to the beginning: the 6am workouts before full electrician days with video editing until 11pm, the fuck-this moment where he nearly packed it in, the video format that finally took off, and the ten grand he paid a coach when that money was hard to find.It's not just a growth story though. He also sorts my back out again: my anterior pelvic tilt, what sitting all day does to runners, why easy runs expose your form, what modern footwear does to the 250,000 nerve endings in your feet, and how to build strength for HYROX without bulk.Plus: living with elite runners at a training camp in Kenya, and the DM from Bear Grylls that turned into coaching him.Chapters:00:00 Trailer00:35 Catch-up: the year the channel blew up01:15 Electrician by day, running coach by night12:08 Hormozi’s ten grand bet on himself22:45 Kenya: living with elite runners32:25 My pelvic tilt, his verdict, and the sitting problem56:16 Footwear, 250,000 nerve endings, and overstriding1:01:47 Building running strength 1:15:28 Coaching Bear Grylls1:17:32 Where to find Myles🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfNewsletter: https://awakenoutofcontext.comGUESTMyles Rawson, running technique coachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/findyourstridecoachCoaching: link in his bio, or DM him at @findyourstridecoachPrevious episode with Myles: #69, Shave Minutes Off Your HYROX Time, Running Form Masterclasshttps://youtu.be/ei-CGsGKMYQ?si=0B6nvaQHLqbhZMrH

Get the exact system I designed and live by to set my goals. It's ten dollars, and it's how you can support the show without me ever asking you to buy me a coffee: https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfI started this episode in a bad mood! Work had taken over, I was frustrated with being injured, my fitness had gone backwards, and I’d reached that point of thinking: what’s the fucking point? I stuck my runners on, grabbed a camera and went for a run around Phuket.Along the way, I get into:* Why maintaining your fitness can actually be progress* How quickly I lost strength after injury, illness and stopping the boring basics* Why tracking your numbers matters when things start going backwards* The first sub-4:00/km pace I’ve seen in months* Why I’d stopped running for the simple enjoyment of it* The less glamorous reality of working remotely in “paradise”* Losing fitness and realising how little I appreciated what I had* Gratitude; and why sometimes you only understand something’s value after losing it* Using running to change your mental state* How changing your behaviour can change your environment, not just the other way around* Why sometimes hitting a low point is exactly what forces you to do something differentBy the end of the run, none of the problems had magically disappeared. But they did feel smaller and sometimes that’s enough :)Chapters:00:00 Trailer00:34 I’m Not Having a Good Day05:23 Why Maintenance Is Actually Progress13:05 I Haven’t Seen Sub-4 in Months23:20 Running, Injury & Losing My Fitness25:00 What I Had — and Didn’t Appreciate28:35 The Run Changed My Mood32:35 Why Changing Your Environment Changes You34:00 Sometimes You Need to Hit a Low Point🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfNewsletter: https://awakenoutofcontext.comMore episodes like this: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_

Get the exact system I designed and live by to set my goals. It's ten bucks, and it's how you can support the show without me ever asking you to buy me a coffee: https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfTwo travellers ask an old man at a crossroads what the people are like in the city ahead. He gives them both the same answer, and it's different for each of them. This episode starts with that old parable and then tests it on a real flight from Bali to Phuket.What I get into: the choice I made boarding that plane to be kind to every single person with no conditions attached. The couple blocking the aisle and what happened when I didn't sigh. Deciding to welcome whoever sat in the middle seat, and the Turkish woman who wrote in my journal because we couldn't share a language. The George Michael impersonator I judged, then chose kindness for, and the chocolate bar that came back. And the question under all of it: is it really kindness if it comes with conditions?🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfNewsletter: https://awakenoutofcontext.comMore episodes like this: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_

Get the exact system I designed and live by to set my goals. It's ten bucks, and it's how you can support the show without me ever asking you to buy me a coffee: https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfThe moment I turned the camera on, my phone felt heavier. Same phone, same hand, nothing changed except being watched. This solo episode is me sitting in a cafe in Bali pulling on that thread until it unravels into something bigger: how observation distorts everything.What I get into: why the camera activates presenter mode rather than creating a fake version of you. The manual labour paradox: AI promised leverage, but the way to look authentic now is to do everything yourself, glued to your phone. Presumptive fame, and why my brain rates a stranger's video above a friend's. Productive procrastination, and pouring energy into work that looks right but misses the point. And the thing it all lands on: most of what feels urgent is noise, and the skill is telling it apart from signal.If this one lands, let me know. Subscribe and drop a review if you're enjoying the show.🎙️ MY STUFFThe Chapter System (the PDF): https://thechaptersystem.com/pdfNewsletter: https://awakenoutofcontext.comMore episodes like this: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_VLOGS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ky3sQEMwUM&list=PLMebuClQRf09N1EW4xaBRDZJQqPlDB_5BAMAS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09DvwNgIXJOsd6ca4azb7nQSOLO: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMebuClQRf09omZ7V629URAvyHG0KxIH_

The lads from school woke me up this morning ripping me for changing my accent, so let's get into it. Why do some of us smooth our accents out when we move through the world, and is it fake?I get into linguistic accommodation, the concept Valerie Fridland taught me when she came on the show, and why softening the edges of my Southern Cumbrian accent is the opposite of inauthentic. I've been on both sides of this: on lads holidays I'd turn the accent up as a weapon, out in Bali I turn it down to connect. Same tool, different job.Also in here: catching myself switching mid-sentence, a Sean Connery impression nobody asked for, football hooligans, why the biggest connections I've made out here would never have happened in my broad accent, and what happened to Chris Williamson's Geordie accent. Accent isn't personality, it's a set of options.If this one lands, let me know. Subscribe and drop a review if you're enjoying the show. Check out my conversation with Professor Valerie Fridland: https://youtu.be/3yOSIGNAhhk?si=UM4oXwHE6dJ-PmsJ🎙️ MY STUFFAwaken Out of Context: https://awakenoutofcontext.comThe Chapter System: https://thechaptersystem.com#howtocommunicate #communication #travel #podcaster