Ben Aldridge is a best-selling author and speaker who regularly addresses audiences around the world on topics including resilience, mental health, Stoicism, and stepping outside of comfort zones. He is the author of "How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable", "How to Control the Uncontrollable", "Seriously Happy", and the "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone" cards. His books have been translated into 11 languages and featured on various bestseller lists, with his latest title shortlisted for the Information Book Awards 2025. Ben’s thinking and inspiration are rooted in ancient Greek philosophy and modern psychology.
Ever wanted to learn a new language, climb a mountain, or solve the infamous Rubik’s Cube? Ben Aldridge has—and in doing so, he has transformed his life. After experiencing debilitating anxiety and panic attacks that impacted his daily routine, Ben decided to confront his mental health struggles boldly and creatively. He set out on a mission of self-improvement by completing a series of weird and wonderful challenges that pushed him far outside his comfort zone.
From taking ice-cold showers and running marathons to eating unusual foods and sleeping in strange places. Ben embraced discomfort as a tool for growth. Inspired by the ancient philosophical practice of askesis, the art of deliberately facing challenges to build mental resilience, Ben has used adversity to redefine his limits and overcome long-held fears, including a phobia of needles, which he tackled by undergoing acupuncture. Whether he’s summiting the Signalkuppe in the Alps or memorising an entire deck of cards, Ben applies the same resilience and self-belief to every challenge.
Now a sought-after speaker, Ben shares the highs and lows of his personal journey with audiences around the world. Through keynote speeches, TV and radio appearances, and high-profile podcast interviews, he inspires others to face their own fears and embrace discomfort. Ben’s talks focus on mental health, resilience, and philosophy, and his down-to-earth, relatable nature resonates deeply with audiences. With humility and passion, he empowers individuals to step outside their comfort zones and discover the rewards that come from pushing through fear and adversity
Social Media
Books
How To Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable: 43 Weird & Wonderful Ways to Build a Strong Resilient Mindset
How to Control the Uncontrollable: 10 Game Changing Ideas to Help You Think Like a Stoic & Build a Resilient Life
Seriously Happy: 10 Life-Changing Philosophy Lessons from Stoicism to Zen to Supercharge Your Mindset
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: 60 Challenge Cards to Build a Strong Resilient Mindset
How to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
This talk is based on Ben’s first book and his story of dealing with severe anxiety. Ben shares personal anecdotes from the challenges he completed in the name of self-improvement and encourages others to build resilience by stepping outside of their comfort zones. This is a fun and entertaining talk that includes specific challenges for the audience to try themselves. Some of the challenges Ben talks about include:
– Climbing Everest on his stairs
– Running a marathon in his garden
– Walking a banana in a busy public space (to deliberately embarrass himself)
– Ice swimming
– Mountain climbing
– Learning to solve the Rubik’s cube
– Learning to pick locks
– Wearing embarrassing clothes
– Facing a fear of needles by having acupuncture
How to Build a Stoic Mindset
This keynote is based on Ben’s book on Stoicism – How to Control the Uncontrollable. Stoic philosophy is an ancient Greek and Roman philosophy that helps us to build resilience, handle uncertainty and live a better life. The talk focuses on how we can use this philosophy in the modern world to build a strong and resilient mindset.
Ben explores the history of Stoicism, important philosophers and key ideas. The talk is incredibly pragmatic and encourages audience members to test out the philosophy with a variety of fun and engaging challenges.
Some of the Stoic topics covered include:
- Dealing with difficult people/clients
- Staying in control of powerful emotions
- Handling chaos and uncertainty
- Training a resilient team
- Building a positive mindset
- Handling setbacks and challenges
How to Manage an Anxious Mind
This keynote is based on Ben’s experience with severe and debilitating anxiety/panic attacks. The talk outlines Ben’s mental health journey and how his difficult experiences led him to write books and speak publicly about anxiety.
The talk focuses on developing an understanding of what anxiety and panic attacks are and how we can learn to work with / overcome them. Ben goes on to give practical tools and tips for optimising mental health in general. He then encourages audience members to develop a holistic approach to their mental health in a variety of different ways. Specific areas of the talk include:
- Learning how to lower anxiety levels
- What to do if you / someone you know is having a panic attack
- Dealing with powerful emotions
- Supporting others with their mental health
- Building a positive and resilient mindset
- A holistic approach to anxiety and panic
- The power of using challenges to build self-trust and confidence
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events:
“We hired Ben to come and speak at a large event with clients, and it was a wonderful experience. He was absolutely fantastic! The audience was highly engaged, and the challenges he set for us were so interesting. We can’t recommend him enough!” – Nick Armitage, Nonsense London, Creative Agency
“A great talk - we’ve had some lovely feedback and it really seems to have resonated with people.” – Capital One
“Great presentation, really engaging. I see Ben leading this street philosophy movement to exciting places!” – Ashley Lodge, Head of Wellbeing, NHS
“Ben Aldridge came to speak at our School Speech Day and did an outstanding job in inspiring our students. He spoke powerfully about his own story and encouraged our students to build their own resilience. He does this in an entertaining manner and keeps the whole audience engaged throughout. Many of our students went on to buy his books! His message that you can build your own resilience using Stoic principles is a strong one, but his engaging delivery makes it all the more so.” – Kevin Fear, Headmaster, Nottingham High School
“Really appreciated the session. Would love to collaborate again!” – Sara Fisher, Credit Suisse
“We really enjoyed your talk. Thank you for sharing your experiences of anxiety and Stoic philosophy with the students - it was inspiring!” – Event Organiser, Wellington College, Shanghai
“Thank you for being so easy to work with!” – Project Lead, Microsoft Campaign
“The questions from students demonstrated how engaged the audience was. We very much enjoyed Ben’s talk.” – Putney High School
“We had so many lovely comments and wonderful feedback come through, people loved Ben’s presentation!” – Dexcom
“Thank you once again for speaking at our New Members Ceremony! It was a great success, and we’ve had many positive comments about the speech from the attendees.” – Kiera Greenwood, CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
“Ben spoke at our Psychology Fall Conference as our Keynote Speaker to talk about his life story and work. He presented to a mix of psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and psychiatric professionals, and we received outstanding feedback. Many of our clinicians went on to order his Challenge Cards for their clients and have reported how much the clients LOVE THEM.” – Dr William Riddle, Monroe University
How to hire Ben Aldridge
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Ben Aldridge for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
