Stress Nation: The Book Behind This Week's Conversation on Your Partner in Success Radio
Justin Hai, author of Stress Nation: Escape the Technology Trap, Eliminate Stress, and Reclaim Rest, is my guest this week on Your Partner in Success Radio. Ahead of our conversation, I wanted to give listeners and readers a deeper look at the book itself, because it's genuinely one of the more important reads I've come across this year on the intersection of technology, health, and wellbeing.
About the Book
Stress Nation is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller that tackles a question most of us have asked ourselves at some point: why, in an age of unprecedented convenience, do so many people feel more exhausted, anxious, and disconnected than ever? Hai's answer centers on cortisol — the body's "master hormone" and stress-response system — and how the technology we use every day is quietly dysregulating it. The result, he argues, is a population stuck in chronic low-grade stress, running on inadequate sleep, and drifting apart in their relationships, often without realizing why.
The book is structured in two complementary parts: a diagnostic section that unpacks the science of how screens, notifications, and always-on connectivity are affecting our brains, bodies, and even our love lives, followed by a practical, actionable framework for breaking the cycle of device dependence and restoring real, restorative rest.
About the Author
Justin Hai brings a rare combination of credibility to this subject. A serial entrepreneur with a background spanning product design, biotech, and wellness, he co-founded Alastin Skincare (later acquired by Galderma), GLO Pharmaceuticals, and now serves as Co-Founder and CEO of Rebalance Health, a company focused on hormone and stress management. His interest in cortisol and stress physiology became deeply personal after his wife faced a complex hormone condition that conventional medicine struggled to address — an experience that shaped both Rebalance Health and this book. He holds degrees from RISD and Pepperdine, and his work has been recognized by Fast Company, CNBC, Inc., and NASA, with Rebalance itself named to TIME's 2024 Best Inventions list.
Why This Conversation Matters
What drew me to invite Justin onto the show is that Stress Nation isn't just theory — it's built on both rigorous science and lived experience. In our conversation, we'll dig into the specific ways technology hijacks our stress response, what listeners can start doing today to protect their sleep and mental clarity, and the personal story that pushed Justin to make this his life's work.
Tune in this week for my full conversation with Justin Hai on Your Partner in Success Radio — and if the themes in this review resonate, I'd encourage you to pick up Stress Nation before the episode airs.
Podcast: Connected but Burned Out: Reclaiming Your Health in a Hyperconnected World with guest Justin Hai
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stress-Nation-Technology-Eliminate-Reclaim-ebook/dp/B0FQFQSGT8