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Breaking out of Homeostasis: Achieve Mind-Body Mastery and Continue Evolving When Others Stagnate
“This book is dangerous. It will make you think painful thoughts about things you could (and should) do differently. But it will also make you explore powerful new frontiers of the mind.”
—Mikael Syding, European Hedge Fund Manager of the Decade
“This book primes you for progress. It reminds us that conformity is regression. Read or regress? Your choice.”
—Martin Berkhan, Originator of Intermittent Fasting
Homeostasis is the body’s autopilot for survival. It is the brain and body's mechanism for staying the
same and saving energy. It’s also the oldest and most powerful biological force.
The brain did not evolve to think or change, but to maintain homeostasis.
Homeostasis no longer works as it should because our biology has not kept up with technology.
Most people never achieve their potential because they are trapped in homeostasis.
Homeostasis is caused by biology and reinforced by society.
You can Break out of Homeostasis by mastering the influences of biology and society. The way to master these influences is the eight-fold path:
1. Right Cognition
2. Right Habits
3. Right Discipline
4. Right Learning
5. Right Stimulation
6. Right Addictions
7. Right Reward System
8. Right Risk Taking
To become happy, healthy, and wealthy—and to remain adaptable as you grow older—you have to cultivate the habit of Breaking out of Homeostasis. This book gives you the tools and tricks to do that. It has hundreds of practical tips and exercises for both brain and body.
—Mikael Syding, European Hedge Fund Manager of the Decade
“This book primes you for progress. It reminds us that conformity is regression. Read or regress? Your choice.”
—Martin Berkhan, Originator of Intermittent Fasting
Homeostasis is the body’s autopilot for survival. It is the brain and body's mechanism for staying the
same and saving energy. It’s also the oldest and most powerful biological force.
The brain did not evolve to think or change, but to maintain homeostasis.
Homeostasis no longer works as it should because our biology has not kept up with technology.
Most people never achieve their potential because they are trapped in homeostasis.
Homeostasis is caused by biology and reinforced by society.
You can Break out of Homeostasis by mastering the influences of biology and society. The way to master these influences is the eight-fold path:
1. Right Cognition
2. Right Habits
3. Right Discipline
4. Right Learning
5. Right Stimulation
6. Right Addictions
7. Right Reward System
8. Right Risk Taking
To become happy, healthy, and wealthy—and to remain adaptable as you grow older—you have to cultivate the habit of Breaking out of Homeostasis. This book gives you the tools and tricks to do that. It has hundreds of practical tips and exercises for both brain and body.
523 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 7, 2017
62 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Ludvig Sunström
3 books23 followersLudvig Sunström is an entrepreneur and author.
Together with hedge fund manager Mikael Syding, he hosts the popular business podcast "25 Minuter," which has been ranked #1 on iTunes several times.
His content has been read and listened to by millions of people. His personal blog is at www.StartGainingMomentum.com
Together with hedge fund manager Mikael Syding, he hosts the popular business podcast "25 Minuter," which has been ranked #1 on iTunes several times.
His content has been read and listened to by millions of people. His personal blog is at www.StartGainingMomentum.com
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 26, 2018
I would have given this book 1 star but for the fact that I think it addresses many legitimate concerns about modern avenues for stimulation (social media, streaming services, gaming etc.) and their affect on discipline, attention span, and mental health. The reason I'm only giving two stars as a firm maximum is that this book was published in 2017, and puts itself on the Kindle store at a comparable price to well-produced works that address similar strategies of neuroplasticity and cognitive behavioral therapy (Make It Stick (2014), The Brain That Changes Itself (2007), Thinking, Fast & Slow (2011), Peak (2015), Deep Work (2016) etc.), but is far less researched and rife with contradictions, bogus statistics, false claims, lack of references, appeal to tradition fallacies, ableism, poor editing and structuring, and graphics that look like they were put together in a cheap word processor.
As far as contradictions go, my favourites are: when Sunström criticises exponents of positive thinking as idiots or money-making phonies, but then draws upon positive thinking techniques (or, you know, CBT, which is pretty well established as an effective form of therapy at this point) amply in his strategies for overcoming homeostasis. Or when he cautions against seeking cookie-cutter approaches to solving problems, yet has no issue with putting vast swathes of the population into cookie cutters himself (this is where the ableism creeps in - much of his criticism for ease-of-use technology ignores the fact that for some people, especially mobility-restricted people, such technology substantially improves quality of life). Or when he repeatedly espouses the importance of owning up to your mistakes and failings, and yet his own self-professed failings don't seem to be directly his fault, but rather he portrays himself as a victim of circumstance (incorrect genes for polyphasic sleep, candida infection for his overeating habits etc.).
Also, I have a slight issue with any published work from the last 3-4 years that says to avoid gluten, MSG, or artificial sweeteners, particularly without references to scientific literature. Sunström, do your research!
There are some valuable aspects to this book, don't get me wrong. It's just that what is valuable has already been examined in other works to a far greater and more nuanced extent. I'm hung up about paying $20 AUD for a work that really should be going for $1-5 at the maximum, judging by the quality (lack thereof) of the research behind this book and the poor editing.
As far as contradictions go, my favourites are: when Sunström criticises exponents of positive thinking as idiots or money-making phonies, but then draws upon positive thinking techniques (or, you know, CBT, which is pretty well established as an effective form of therapy at this point) amply in his strategies for overcoming homeostasis. Or when he cautions against seeking cookie-cutter approaches to solving problems, yet has no issue with putting vast swathes of the population into cookie cutters himself (this is where the ableism creeps in - much of his criticism for ease-of-use technology ignores the fact that for some people, especially mobility-restricted people, such technology substantially improves quality of life). Or when he repeatedly espouses the importance of owning up to your mistakes and failings, and yet his own self-professed failings don't seem to be directly his fault, but rather he portrays himself as a victim of circumstance (incorrect genes for polyphasic sleep, candida infection for his overeating habits etc.).
Also, I have a slight issue with any published work from the last 3-4 years that says to avoid gluten, MSG, or artificial sweeteners, particularly without references to scientific literature. Sunström, do your research!
There are some valuable aspects to this book, don't get me wrong. It's just that what is valuable has already been examined in other works to a far greater and more nuanced extent. I'm hung up about paying $20 AUD for a work that really should be going for $1-5 at the maximum, judging by the quality (lack thereof) of the research behind this book and the poor editing.
December 17, 2017
Most self-help books are like butter knives: they serve only one purpose and lack sharp precision. Breaking out of Homeostasis is a Swiss army knife to get you on the cutting edge of whatever you may pursue in life. It will help improve your motivation, health, learning, and so much more - using the tools of psychology, biology, philosophy, and history. All in a neat little package.
Human beings are highly maladapted to the modern world, and a fulfilling life no longer comes naturally.
Breaking out of Homeostasis looks at multiple layers - from our fundamental biology, all the way up to daily life. It covers the causes of our natural tendency to save energy, whilst providing plenty of practical tips to make a start straight away in overcoming this. It is grounded in psychology, philosophy, and human physiology. Although it is packed with information (I'd recommend taking notes), Ludvig peppers it with historical anecdotes, making for an enjoyable read and helping the reader better understand the concepts presented. This includes his own experience and self-experimentation.
Two years ago, I started reading Ludvig's blog and read the original Breaking out of Homeostasis. It dramatically changed my life through changing my actions. Ludvig is extremely well-read on the topics covered in his blog and books. Needless to say, I highly anticipated this new release. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Looking forward to trying out all this practical advice!
Human beings are highly maladapted to the modern world, and a fulfilling life no longer comes naturally.
Breaking out of Homeostasis looks at multiple layers - from our fundamental biology, all the way up to daily life. It covers the causes of our natural tendency to save energy, whilst providing plenty of practical tips to make a start straight away in overcoming this. It is grounded in psychology, philosophy, and human physiology. Although it is packed with information (I'd recommend taking notes), Ludvig peppers it with historical anecdotes, making for an enjoyable read and helping the reader better understand the concepts presented. This includes his own experience and self-experimentation.
Two years ago, I started reading Ludvig's blog and read the original Breaking out of Homeostasis. It dramatically changed my life through changing my actions. Ludvig is extremely well-read on the topics covered in his blog and books. Needless to say, I highly anticipated this new release. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Looking forward to trying out all this practical advice!
December 29, 2017
Fantastic book with great content
Booh is a a great book with a LOT of awesome content. how to rethink and do things in a way that in the long term will make yourself succesful. It’s a must to read this book for you guys who wants to start gaining momentum! Thanks a lot.
Booh is a a great book with a LOT of awesome content. how to rethink and do things in a way that in the long term will make yourself succesful. It’s a must to read this book for you guys who wants to start gaining momentum! Thanks a lot.
December 2, 2019
One of the best self help books out there. Not a best seller help book with generic advice everyone knows. Behind every example or tip is a scientic/evolutionary reason.
The main thesis or theory Ludvig presents is that the human mind operates in a feedback loop known as homestasis(seek pleasure/avoid pain).
He brings up scientific/evolutionary/biological facts to why humans have this feedback loop, as you can guess it has to do with years of evolution perfecting a strategy for humans to survive and pass on their genes.
He then goes on to say how this doesn't help us in the modern world where we don't have the same obstacles as before nor or the rewards as hard as before.
There is a lot of actionable advice on dieting, fasting, gym, routines, finding out habit feedback loops, how parts of the brain work PFC + Amygdala, chemicals in your brain that cause certain emotions.
It is truly a self book as it helps you find why you might be stuck in a rut and how you can get out of it with actions rather than just some conceptual theory that some other books have.
His advice isn't just wake up early goto gym + meditate. He goes into why all these things are beneficial for humans from a evolutionary prespective or biological.
Great book, I give it a 5/5 not because it's perfect but it talks about a subject that is ever present in our society. We have so many people who are literally zombies who just work 9 to 5 jobs and don't question anything or improve or believe they can be better than they are.
They might think about getting a promotion or a new car but not about how to truly ascend to the next level as individuals.
I can safely say if everyone read this book, our society would be better even if it was by a small %. Alas very few people read books in the first place and most people that do read, read mainstream trash that is marketed/curated to appeal to them with ideas that will never improve their lives.
The main thesis or theory Ludvig presents is that the human mind operates in a feedback loop known as homestasis(seek pleasure/avoid pain).
He brings up scientific/evolutionary/biological facts to why humans have this feedback loop, as you can guess it has to do with years of evolution perfecting a strategy for humans to survive and pass on their genes.
He then goes on to say how this doesn't help us in the modern world where we don't have the same obstacles as before nor or the rewards as hard as before.
There is a lot of actionable advice on dieting, fasting, gym, routines, finding out habit feedback loops, how parts of the brain work PFC + Amygdala, chemicals in your brain that cause certain emotions.
It is truly a self book as it helps you find why you might be stuck in a rut and how you can get out of it with actions rather than just some conceptual theory that some other books have.
His advice isn't just wake up early goto gym + meditate. He goes into why all these things are beneficial for humans from a evolutionary prespective or biological.
Great book, I give it a 5/5 not because it's perfect but it talks about a subject that is ever present in our society. We have so many people who are literally zombies who just work 9 to 5 jobs and don't question anything or improve or believe they can be better than they are.
They might think about getting a promotion or a new car but not about how to truly ascend to the next level as individuals.
I can safely say if everyone read this book, our society would be better even if it was by a small %. Alas very few people read books in the first place and most people that do read, read mainstream trash that is marketed/curated to appeal to them with ideas that will never improve their lives.
September 9, 2021
Third read: I focused especially on neocortex, PFC, stress and allostasis, the reward system, and metacognition in depth for the third reading. Extensive notes and literature reviews to integrate Ludvig's insights into their wider contexts, and a focus on basic principles in order to be able to teach them myself, helped enormously.
It's probably the most time I've spent on a book in many years.
I look forward to the second edition.
Still a masterpiece.
XXX
Second read, I took notes, tried to apply as much as I could, and generally studied it like a textbook.
Most valuable to me is the four pillars of wakefulness, the guidance on the neocortex and expert pattern recognition, and the stuff on the winner effect.
Least valuable but still provocative is the information on homeostasis, which I grasped on my first reading, and the amygdala section.
I think other writers address this question of regulating the amygdala much more skilfully than this section. To be fair, the author walks his talk. But I also think he didn’t have many problems with this area and so didn’t include a lot of material that might be useful to people.
I’d recommend Tools of Titans and Feel the Fear and Success Principles on handling fear.
Definitely a book to reread. Profound and brilliant.
It's probably the most time I've spent on a book in many years.
I look forward to the second edition.
Still a masterpiece.
XXX
Second read, I took notes, tried to apply as much as I could, and generally studied it like a textbook.
Most valuable to me is the four pillars of wakefulness, the guidance on the neocortex and expert pattern recognition, and the stuff on the winner effect.
Least valuable but still provocative is the information on homeostasis, which I grasped on my first reading, and the amygdala section.
I think other writers address this question of regulating the amygdala much more skilfully than this section. To be fair, the author walks his talk. But I also think he didn’t have many problems with this area and so didn’t include a lot of material that might be useful to people.
I’d recommend Tools of Titans and Feel the Fear and Success Principles on handling fear.
Definitely a book to reread. Profound and brilliant.
December 28, 2017
A book with so much density in the form of practical tips that I almost find it hard to make notes. You can use this book as a handbook and one must definitely re-read parts of it with spaced repetition. It has some issues that probably one last revision would fix, but nothing that makes it seem really unfinished. If you want to read one book on personal growth, this is a solid contender.
January 22, 2018
Great
Practical, actionable guide to becoming more alive and realizing your potential. Wish I read it years ago! Really good read!
Practical, actionable guide to becoming more alive and realizing your potential. Wish I read it years ago! Really good read!
September 15, 2020
Ludvig's work is praiseworthy in the sedentary times we live in. Human body has not been able to keep pace with the onslaught of the technology and nearly irreversible changes induced by it. The mismatch between the rate of biological evolution and the rate scientific and technological evolution is creating unthinkable anomalies in our lives. Managing them is necessary to ensure a decent survival.
Ludvig's book is refreshing because all the principles stated in it have been put to practical use by him. He has conducted formidable research about all the topics he has dealt with. Homeostasis is not only a biological process but a stark reality of our lives that we choose to ignore to facilitate our comfort bias. The book is not didactic in its tonality. Instead, it urges the reader to apply the principles discussed therein and be the harbinger of change in their lives.
Stagnation is death. Ludvig's assertion to break out of homeostasis is a timely call that must be answered affirmatively.
Ludvig's book is refreshing because all the principles stated in it have been put to practical use by him. He has conducted formidable research about all the topics he has dealt with. Homeostasis is not only a biological process but a stark reality of our lives that we choose to ignore to facilitate our comfort bias. The book is not didactic in its tonality. Instead, it urges the reader to apply the principles discussed therein and be the harbinger of change in their lives.
Stagnation is death. Ludvig's assertion to break out of homeostasis is a timely call that must be answered affirmatively.
August 18, 2024
This book was an eyeopener in many ways. It reminded me a little of “The One Thing“ by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.
I agree somewhat with the critics that the book lacked references and academic writing style, but the book is packed with helpful opinions that can make you break out of homeostasis. If you take it for what it is: A potential dealbreaker in your life (it was highly useful to me), then go for it.
I think this info is beneficial for solopreneurs or anyone in the creative space.
It is definitely a book I want to re-read and systematically try several of the ideas.
I agree somewhat with the critics that the book lacked references and academic writing style, but the book is packed with helpful opinions that can make you break out of homeostasis. If you take it for what it is: A potential dealbreaker in your life (it was highly useful to me), then go for it.
I think this info is beneficial for solopreneurs or anyone in the creative space.
It is definitely a book I want to re-read and systematically try several of the ideas.
September 22, 2025
This is one of the best self help books I've ever read.
There's advice that can apply to wherever you are in life.
My favorite section was when he talks about the 2 emerging classes: the knowledge based workers and the consuming underclass.
Read this or get left behind. Awesome blog (start gaining momentum) as well by the way.
There's advice that can apply to wherever you are in life.
My favorite section was when he talks about the 2 emerging classes: the knowledge based workers and the consuming underclass.
Read this or get left behind. Awesome blog (start gaining momentum) as well by the way.
April 27, 2019
Aunque no estoy de acerado con algunos de sus postulados, en general creo que tiene muchas ideas interesantes y vale la pena leerlo.
June 11, 2022
Gran libro de crecimiento que te refuerza en el concepto de mejorar cada día, saliendo de tu zona de confort, evitando quedarte por mucho tiempo en situaciones cómodas.
Algunas partes ya se hacían un poco repetitivas y hasta a veces el escritor daba la impresión de ser un vende humo. Considerando que el precio del libro no es barato.
De todas formas, te abre la mente un poco.
Tengo un resumen del libro en mis documentos.
Algunas partes ya se hacían un poco repetitivas y hasta a veces el escritor daba la impresión de ser un vende humo. Considerando que el precio del libro no es barato.
De todas formas, te abre la mente un poco.
Tengo un resumen del libro en mis documentos.
August 2, 2022
Best self help book I've ever read. Life changing
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews