Jay Shetty speaks with David Ko, CEO of Calm, about stress, sleep and workplace culture, drawing on Ko’s book “Recharge”. Ko outlines a simple “battery” framing for mental energy, dividing wellbeing into four percentage zones and suggesting different responses as someone moves from “fine” to needing a hard stop. The pair discuss leadership habits that make it easier for colleagues to speak honestly, including making time for real answers when asking how someone is doing, and modelling vulnerability from the top of an organisation.
Ko argues that not all stress is harmful, but that chronic “distress” can contribute to anxiety, depression and physical symptoms, and he links burnout to workplace inefficiency. He says more than half of Calm users come to the app seeking sleep support, and he attributes much of modern sleeplessness to phones kept beside the bed and constant notifications. Ko also shares personal examples of unhealthy coping earlier in his career, including taking up smoking while working in banking and patterns of stress-related eating.
In the closing “final five”, Ko describes daily rituals such as avoiding his phone immediately after waking, taking a few breaths outside, and using walking meetings and exercise to reset. Asked what law he would introduce, he proposes regular mental-health education for children in schools, analogous to compulsory physical education, to build vocabulary and healthier habits earlier in life.
David Ko, CEO of Calm, says more than half of Calm users come to the app for sleep, though he offers no supporting data. He argues phone notifications at night can disrupt sleep and leave people more irritable and less productive the next day.
Read this moment →David Ko argues schools should set aside regular time to teach children about mental health, similar to physical education. He says earlier education could give children the vocabulary and healthier coping habits before stress patterns become entrenched.
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