Think back to the most stressful time in your life. What were your coping strategies? What good habits were the first to go as you struggled to stay afloat? Did your evening reading take a backseat to Below Deck reruns? Maybe you shut yourself off from your friends instead of seeking their support.

It all sounds familiar, right? (And maybe, just maybe, those examples are from my own personal life.) In times of stress, our reactions are probably to crawl inward, to take the easiest way out, and to avoid anything that feels like extra work. But what if that’s the exact opposite of what we should be doing?

That’s what Dr. Samantha Boardman and I talked about in today’s podcast episode. In her new book, Everyday Vitality: How to Turn Stress Into Strength, Dr. Boardman shares science-backed strategies for building resilience and vitality—that sense of aliveness and energy that makes you feel like a human being. According to Dr. Boardman, that vitality comes from connection with others, engaging in challenging experiences, and finding a sense of purpose in something beyond yourself. With actionable advice rooted in positive psychology, this book is chock-full of ways to add a little energy to your life, especially in times of major stress.

All that is a very wordy way to say this: this book sums up the things we’ve been talking about at aSweatLife for a very, very long time (especially the chapters on human connection).

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Dr. Boardman talk about how getting fired by a patient changed her career trajectory, why looking at her phone less was a major past goal of hers, and her current process goal of doing 20 minutes of yoga, three times a week.

Resources:

• Buy Everyday Vitality on Amazon or Bookshop.org
• Find Dr. Boardman’s website here
• Follow Dr. Boardman on Instagram @positive_prescription and on Twitter @sambmd
• The article mentioned from aSweatLife.com: Do Virtual Friendships Have As Much Value As IRL Friendships?

If you love this episode as much as we do, subscribe to the #WeGotGoals podcast wherever you like to listen to podcasts, including on Apple and Spotify (and leave us a rating while you’re at it, please).