FUCK - What are the unique aspects of the five survival stress tools?

YES. THE FUCK survival stress tool is real. It refers to those acts that join people together in the deepest bonds of the human experience.

- Matt Soule, author of Fight, Freeze, Fast, F^ck, Breathe - Mastering the Stress Response

Each survival stress tool offers a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional benefits, when trained and applied correctly.

Recall last week we focused on Fast, an environmental acute stress tool that physically helps to optimize the body through its relationship with food, while mentally and emotionally it allows us to focus on the challenges of scarcity.

This week we will focus on the Fuck tool. While initially it may seem odd that I would include this as a training tool, you will soon discover why...

One of the biggest sources of distress we experience is around sex, love and relationships. Further, whether actively looking for a partner or actually engaging in the act of sex itself, these actions involve a specific stress response. When viewing it in these ways, and understanding its role as a primal root in life, we can quickly understand the essential quality of Fuck as a survival stress tool as its necessity to master the stress response.

Training Fuck appropriately has a wide range of benefits from cardiovascular improvement, to pain reduction, to lowering all-cause mortality (dying from any reason). It can help us learn to cultivate and harness both desire and passion. Unlike the relational tool of Fight, which is founded on advantage, Fuck is founded on the intricacy of physical, verbal, and emotional coordination that helps a union reach the highest peaks of mutual gain. We discover the right balance of sacrifice and support to achieve these ends. We learn to engage in the work necessary so that who we choose is positively reflected in who we are.

Like all powerful tools, misusing Fuck can have dire consequences. Forming stable relationships that allow us to express ourselves in healthy and meaningful ways requires that we navigate this space with care and intention. When used correctly, this tool can help us simultaneously reach unknown heights of potential pleasure and form lasting bonds that serve essential needs for emotional and psychological stability.

For this week, the takeaway is to follow these three steps:

Step 1 Become familiar with survival stress tools. Today we covered the Fuck tool.

We learned aspects and benefits of the Fuck tool. To think about Fuck as training tool to master stress can be intriguing but can also be misunderstood. Stay tuned for more opportunities to attend workshops and training with myself and Neurologist and sexologist, Dr. Ariadna Uriarte…

Next week, we will cover the Breathe tool. Want more now?

Find my book on Amazon

or

Check out the links to my recent interviews.

Dr. Rob Williams at Peak Flow TV or Brock Cannon's podcast where I had the privilege of appearing on these shows to talk about survival stress tools in depth.

Step 2 Take action. By taking action and implementing these tools in our lives, the information = empowerment! The result will be a tremendously positive influence on bettering our lives. Start today by checking out some of the upcoming training opportunities.

Step 3 Maintain the balance. High-threshold tools are powerful, which means that when wielded correctly— that is using them consistently but in short durations— they will serve us. Overuse them and you will pay the price which often leads to burnout, injury or worse. We are all at different starting places so respect the power of the tool as you calibrate your personal training regimen. If you are unsure about a particular tool, routine or anything around your training, submit your question and I will do my best to answer it.

This week's question

"I'm an athlete and can't find a good time to start fasting. What do you recommend? Do I have to wait until I have a long break from training?"

Answer

Actually, no. I, too, encountered a similar line of questioning in my own life as I am very often working out and training six- seven days per week. The best way to start is by building a healthy schedule of time-restricted eating of 5-8 hours each day. This will allow you to prepare your body before including longer fasts. Then, start with a 24-hour fast. Activity during a fasting period is often easier than doing minimal amounts of movement as your body is already in an action mode that supports the stress you are including. Additional tip: I recommend you drink water with electrolytes, and pay close attention to how you are feeling throughout the day.

Ask a Question

Do you have a specific question that you would like answered to help you with your training? Send me an email at contact@mattsoule.com or connect with me on Instagram @soulemd and I will include your question and answer in a future newsletter or blog post.