The Practice of Groundedness by Brad Stulberg Summary
Overview of The Practice of Groundedness
In "The Practice of Groundedness," Brad Stulberg offers an antidote to burnout culture, blending ancient wisdom with modern science. Endorsed by Adam Grant and Arianna Huffington, it reveals why sustainable success requires patience over hustle. What if slowing down actually accelerates your achievement?
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Key takeaways
When Success Feels Like Failure
A bestselling author collapses under the weight of his own success, paralyzed by intrusive thoughts and electrifying panic attacks. Olympic athletes drop out mid-race, not from physical injury but emotional devastation. High-powered executives nail their performance reviews yet wake up feeling like frauds. What connects these seemingly disparate experiences? They're all casualties of what we might call the achievement paradox-where the very traits that propel us forward eventually become the forces that tear us apart. We've built an entire culture around heroic individualism, celebrating those who optimize every moment, who turn productivity into an art form, who measure their worth in metrics and milestones. Yet beneath this glossy veneer of success lies an epidemic of emptiness. One in five people battles anxiety or depression. Deaths of despair have nearly doubled since 1999. Despite rising GDP and technological miracles, overall well-being has declined 10% since 2008. We're living like hungry ghosts-constantly consuming but never satisfied, perpetually achieving but never fulfilled. The symptoms are everywhere: that low-level hum of anxiety, the guilt during downtime, the inability to turn off work mode, the loneliness despite constant connection. This isn't just burnout; it's a fundamental misalignment between how we're living and what actually sustains us.
The Radical Act of Acceptance and Presence
The Long Game in an Instant World
The Courage to Be Seen
Belonging in the Age of Loneliness
The Medicine of Movement
Living the Practice: From Knowing to Being
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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