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It's not every day that I meet Chris Hemsworth
Dear <<First Name>>,
Oh nothing, no big deal.
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The mortality of a superhero
It started with Chris Hemsworth (the mere mortal version, not the Thor/People Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year/Hollywood superstar version) being on a mission.
He wanted to know how to live better for longer.
So, he teamed up with National Geographic and Disney to find longevity experts to guide him.
These experts taught Chris how to practice longevity tools in the most outrageous challenges ever.
The result is an exhilarating 6 part streaming series called LIMITLESS WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH that released on Disney+ this week.
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Thor is Stressed Out
They started with stress. Turns out that Thor the literal Thunder God, like the rest of us mere mortals, gets stressed out by his overwhelming inbox and overtired kids.
So, the first episode begins there.
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Meet Professor Modupe Akinola
Enter Dr. Modupe Akinola, my long-time collaborator and dear friend. She is a social psychologist and expert on the psychophysiology of stress. National Geographic recruited her to teach Chris the science of stress and coach him on how to use practical tools for hacking his stress.
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The goal, she explained to him, is not to live a life free of stress, but to be able to control our response to stress. The stakes are high - chronic stress can shorten our life.
There is good news, she and her co-authors has found. By adopting what they call a "stress-is-enhancing" mindset, we can reverse that pattern.
In this mindset, we tell ourselves that our stress can actually improve our performance and thus, bypass the dangerous physiology of stress. In this mindset, the stress we are feeling is useful, rather than debilitating, explains Akinola.
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Based on her and others' research, Modupe coaches Chris on how to handle his stress through some epic challenges.
No spoilers, but trust me, the series is wild, edge-of-your-seat television.
Here is the trailer for the whole series, the trailer for the first episode focused on stress, and the whole series on Disney+.
Red Carpet, Baby!
To launch LIMITLESS, there were two amazing events in New York this week.
On Tuesday night, there was a red carpet premiere at Lincoln Center and I was lucky to be one of Modupe's guests (that's how I later got to meet him for a hot second).
Check out this red carpet pic.
Right?! I know ... I know ... star power all around!
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The next night, there was a screening at Columbia Business School, where Modupe is a wildly popular professor. I was asked to interview Modupe after the screening.
It was a fascinating conversation. At one point, I asked Modupe where her scientific interest in stress arises from.
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“Sometimes research is me-search,” she said with a laugh. As a black woman who grew up in an immigrant family, learning to manage stress in a society filled with bias and barriers has long been part of her lived experience.
Bias is a big stressor
Thus, another central theme in Modupe's research is the study of bias.
Along with our dear friend and collaborator Katy Milkman (Wharton professor and bestselling author of HOW TO CHANGE), the three of us have used the methods of science to demonstrate how bias shows up in classrooms and in boardrooms.
To see our jargony academic papers, check out this and this and this. Or for more accessible recaps, check out this New York Times op-ed and this Washington Post op-ed.
The bottom line: we have a lot of work to do fighting bias and in the meantime, we are going to need to navigate our stress.
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The Stress of Navigating Bias
While stress affects all of us, there are unique stressors that come from dealing with bias.
For example, one study tracked Black and Latinx study participants’ blood pressure and mapped that against what those participants reported about their moods and experiences of perceived racism.
The researchers discovered a disturbing pattern with the participants’ blood pressure. When the participants reported racism, their blood pressure stayed elevated that night, rather than dipping as it should. This is bad news. Elevated blood pressure leads to hardened arteries and shorter lives.
Stress can shorten our lives and bias breeds stress.
Akinola writes that ambiguous instances - where one is unsure if the rudeness, rejection, or resentment is the result of actual bias - are particularly stressful. The target is left unsure of what actually happened or how to convince others of what happened.
For those navigating biases in their lived experience, dealing with stress is a daily necessity.
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How to Begin
That’s where Modupe's research and the hacks she recommends can help. For example, she teaches Chris to slow down his breath, explaining why that will change his physiology, emotions, and performance.
Like everyone else, I know I am supposed to box breathe, and deep breathe, and mindfully breathe ... but sigh, it's a lot and I tend to roll my eyes (sorry, Mom!!).
It wasn't until I saw Chris and Modupe put it into live action with a scientific rationale that I felt an authentic pull to give it a sustained and sincere try.
All week, I have been implementing the breathing exercise she coaches Chris Hemsworth to use in Episode 1 of LIMITLESS and by gosh, it has helped!
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The Stress Prescription
With serendipitous timing this week, I was also thrilled to learn about a new book by stress researcher Dr. Elissa Epel. (You may know her fascinating first book, the NYT bestseller titled THE TELOMERE EFFECT, co-written with Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn.)
THE STRESS PRESCRIPTION is an easy-to-read, science-based guidebook on how to put all of the research Epel, Akinola, and others have done into practice.
I particularly appreciate that Dr. Epel addresses how the realities of bias lead to stress disparities.
This new book drops on December 27 so it's perfect timing for a fresh start to the new year.
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A More Just Future
Speaking of new books, my new book has been out for a month! It has been an exciting time.
A bunch of you volunteered as the book's Launch Team and your efforts are working ... the word is out! Please keep spreading the word and posting amazon reviews (if that's where you bought your copy) ... THANK YOU!
On my end, I am hustling to reach as many hearts and minds as possible through podcasts and other media. Check out my conversations with Scott Galloway on the Prof G podcast and Angela Duckworth on CNN.com.
(By the way, there is exciting stuff in the pipeline that I can't tell you about yet … stay tuned!)
Most importantly, I’m blown away by reader response ... you can see some here. Wow. The words "hopeful" and "inspired" come up frequently.
Want to share that hope and inspiration with others? I have an idea ...
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Let me make gift giving a little easier for you!
Making a list and checking it twice? Have someone in your life who would appreciate A MORE JUST FUTURE? Reading the book in your book club and want to show up with a surprise? Want to have a few extra book gifts on hand, just in case you get caught off guard like I do over the holidays?
I would love to help you make your gift a little extra special by personalizing and signing a free book plate (or ten!) for you and those you are sharing the book with.
For example, you know, if I happened to gift my book to, say, a guy named Chris, I might include a book plate like this ...
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Here's how it works. You buy the book from any bookseller you like and click here to request a free personalized book plate from me. I will personally write each book plate and mail it to you so you can put it in the book.
Request as many as you like (just fill out a unique form for each) and don't forget to get one for yourself!
Please submit your request as soon as possible and no later than December 5. I will have your book plate(s) in the mail by December 12.
Easy!
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Stay in touch!
As always, my goal in this newsletter is to give you bite-sized, evidence-based, action-oriented, zeitgeisty tips on how to be more inclusive (check out past issues here). My hope is for this free, accessible content to reach as many hearts and minds as possible so feel free to share!
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If this was forwarded to you by someone, you can sign up below for a free subscription to Dear Good People. No spam, no sharing your info, I promise.
And I am always thrilled to hear from you - just reply to this email.
Let's build a more just future together!
Photo credits: Personal images created in Canva, Thor Stressed, Chris Hemsworth, Collage with Modupe Akinola & Chris Hemsworth. Image of Modupe Akinola and quote , The Stress Prescription book & Elissa Epel headshot, National Geographic & Disney + Images, Limitless Premier Images by Mackey Landy, Modupe Akinola
I deeply appreciate Anna McMullen’s enthusiasm and Katie Sutton’s dedication. Limitless thanks to Modupe Akinola.
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