EP 175 — Craig Weller: Facing Real Life Challenges: Lessons From Elite Soldiers

Many people take on stressful challenges by going with their gut, but those on-the-fly tactics often don’t work, especially for soldiers trying to stay alive in the battlefield. Former U.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) Craig Weller shares a different, mentally-focused approach to managing stressful situations by tapping into your emotions and why the ability to withstand high amounts of pain just isn’t enough in this very tactical Living 4D conversation. Learn more about Craig, his book, Building The Elite , and the courses he offers at his website . Follow Craig on social media via Instagram at Building The Elite and Precision Nutrition . Show Notes Craig had to learn to swim to qualify to become a SWCC. (8:02) Motivational slogans won’t help you improve your performance. (11:06) In the special ops community, soldiers have a deeper understanding about the difference between hurt and harm . (25:20) “Panic is the first stage of death.” (31:45) Bootcamp doesn’t fix people with emotional problems. (45:31) Many soldiers wanting to be a SWCC or Navy Seal are terribly unprepared. (50:48) Stress inoculation training . (1:00:09) Successfully adapting to stress requires specific skills, objectives and purposes, not merely withstanding pain. (1:13:34) Single-minded toughness vs dangerous stupidity. (1:24:42) “Rational decision-making must involve emotion.” (1:33:59) It’s very easy to develop flawed gut feelings or instincts in the absence of negative feedback. (1:51:36) Do you have 10 years of experience in a career or 1 year of experience repeated 10 times? (1:55:52) The importance of normal jaw development. (2:14:53) People won’t feel the effect of eating highly processed, unhealthy foods for 10-15 years. (2:27:20) Craig’s tips for managing stress better, including the 3-minute rule, segmenting and sleep. (2:32:13) Relying solely on willpower over structure and a better system doesn’t work. (2:40:58) Resources Drownproofing The work of Antonio Damasio More resources for this episode are available on our website . Thanks to our awesome sponsors : The Personal Peak Performance Summit , Organifi (save 20 percent on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout), Thanks to our awesome sponsors : Paleovalley BIOptimizers US and BIOptimizers UK PAUL15 Organifi CHEK20 Wild Pastures Korrect SPIRITGYM Pique Life CHEK Institute We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.