EP 133 Building a Resilient Mindset with Chris HoltEP 133 Building a Resilient Mindset with Chris Holt
Unpause Your Life
What if the key to changing your life isn't finding an easier path but becoming someone who can handle harder things? In this episode of Unpause Your Life, we sit down with Chris Holt, a performance coach, former CrossFit affiliate owner, and mindset...
37:07•2 Jul 2026
Building Real Resilience: Chris Holt on Pain, Habits and Mental Toughness
Episode Overview
- Hard experiences can be treated as fuel rather than punishment by choosing to see them as happening "for" you instead of "to" you.
- Food, sugar and alcohol are often used to numb emotions, so the real work is facing feelings and building healthier coping tools.
- Simple daily standards like sleep, movement, real food, sunlight and calling a friend when low can stabilise mental health.
- Accountability is crucial; most people choose the path of least resistance unless someone is holding them to their goals.
- For many women and mums, the most selfless act is to be "selfish" enough to prioritise their own health and boundaries.
“The moment I really truly believe that things happen for me, not to me… no matter how shitty it is, I view those moments as this rare resource. It’s like jet fuel.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This chat between Dr. Cali Estes and performance coach Chris Holt gives a raw, no-nonsense look at what it really takes to build a resilient mind when life won’t stop throwing punches. Chris shares a life story that sounds like several lifetimes in one: multiple lung surgeries, a serious car crash, open-heart surgery, a chaotic career path, divorce, racism, and long-term depression and anxiety.
He’s honest about using food and alcohol to cope in college and about spending years in a “glass half empty” mindset, asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Instead of staying stuck, Chris explains how he shifted to seeing hard experiences as fuel. One line sums him up: “The moment I really truly believe that things happen for me, not to me… no matter how shitty it is, I view those moments as this rare resource.
It’s like jet fuel.” You’ll hear how he now manages mental health through consistent daily habits: sleep, movement, real food, sunlight, connection, and what he calls non-negotiable standards. For example, if he feels depressed, he has a rule: he must call a friend. If he doesn’t want to work out, that’s his cue that he has to go.
Chris also talks about coaching clients who use food, sugar, and alcohol as numbing tools, and how accountability helps them stop giving power to things they can’t control. He mainly works with women aged 35–60, especially mums who are exhausted, guilty, and pouring from an empty cup, and he pushes the idea that the most selfless thing you can do is to look after yourself first.
If you’re tired of quick fixes and want a straight-talking take on building mental toughness, this conversation might make you rethink how you respond to pain, cravings, and tough emotions. What “standards” could you set for yourself today that future you would be grateful for?
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