#101 - Ryan Holiday: Finding stillness amidst chaos

The Peter Attia Drive - A podcast by Peter Attia, MD - Mondays

Ryan Holiday, bestselling author and author of Daily Stoic, discusses practical ways to find stillness and apply the insights of stoic philosophy in the midst of COVID-19 chaos. Ryan discusses the importance of taking back a feeling of control, the benefits of structure and routine, and the idea of being prepared for anything. We discuss: Using times of adversity to evaluate and reflect how you’ve set up and prioritized your life [2:30]; What insights might the famous stoics provide amidst this COVID-19 pandemic? [8:15]; The possible consequences of the socially isolating nature of a pandemic (and why we need good leaders) [13:00]; Stoicism—what it means and how to apply it [18:45]; Lessons taken from the life of Winston Churchill—stillness, structure, routine, hobbies, empathy, forward thinking, and more [23:30]; Alive time vs. dead time—taking control of your time and making it count [38:45]; Auditing how the world (and its leaders) are handling the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of stoic philosophy [44:15]; Asserting control and using routine to find stillness in an environment not conducive for it [52:15]; Why you should find a way to exercise, especially now [58:30]; How to find purpose during this time—goal setting, having a project to work on, and the benefits of keeping a journal [1:02:00]; What is Ryan most optimistic about and what is he most concerned about over the next few months? [1:08:45]; How can you follow Ryan’s work and messages about stoicism and stillness? [1:17:45]. And more. Learn more: https://peterattiamd.com/ Show notes page for this episode: https://peterattiamd.com/ryanholiday2 Subscribe to receive exclusive subscriber-only content: https://peterattiamd.com/subscribe/ Sign up to receive Peter's email newsletter: https://peterattiamd.com/newsletter/ Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.