Raise your hand if you find pleasure in discomfort.
In bewilderment, you ask, what kind of ridiculous question is that? If people liked discomfort, there would be no such thing as slippers, La-Z-Boy chairs or battery-operated misting fans. And you certainly wouldn’t find them together.
I ponder the madness of seeking discomfort as my fatigued legs do their best to support me as I sit/fall into a chair. They are weary from enduring a long run preparing me for an even longer race this weekend. It’s easy to understand the aversion to discomfort, everything aches, including muscles I didn’t even know existed.
Your source of discomfort may be exercise, public speaking, being in a crowd when you prefer solitude or doing anything you see as a risk.
Why would anyone subject themselves to the stress of discomfort? Without even realizing it, I bet your brain is building an army of excuses to justify staying in your comfort zone.
Guess what? Despite the inclination to avoid discomfort for self-preservation, it can be addicting if given a chance. More than likely, it’s what follows discomfort that’s addicting. It’s called personal growth. As a coping skill, it does wonders for your well-being.
For more
Families with teens are invited to participate in the Healthy Living Program this June. Feel healthier and happier through diet, movement and mindfulness.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3XpZ8WK.
Take exercise, for example. If you push your capacity, even a little, it’ll make you sweat, your muscles sore, your lungs burn and your feet might stink. Going to a gym or wearing exercise clothes might make you feel self-conscious.
Quite honestly, discomfort may be one of the biggest roadblocks to starting a new habit.
But, in return for withstanding discomfort (of exercise), you build muscle, lung capacity and overall fitness. You’ll feel self-confident, have an improved mood and less anxiety. Best of all, there is a carryover effect for these positive emotions – they’ll extend to other areas of life, too.
The return on investment is so great, no investor would pass up this opportunity if it were a business.
Oddly, as investors in our own business (health), we generally prefer comfort. It begs one to ask, what can be done to boost motivation and willingness to embrace discomfort?
First, try distancing yourself. Not from discomfort, but from yourself. Bear with me, the task sounds a bit weird.
Using the third person, explore your thoughts about the negative aspect of the experience: “How does Nicole feel when she goes skiing?” (Cold and incompetent, but at least it’s been called out.)
Additionally, try adding comfort to enhance tolerability. For example, Nicole could use hand warmers or ski alone to be less embarrassed. Nicole could also return to speaking in the first person.
Lastly, try mental reinterpretation. This means reframing your perspective to highlight the functional and positive aspects of your discomfort. Using the previous example, “I am happiest when I am outside and active. Skiing is an opportunity for this in the winter.”
Perhaps the hardest thing about realizing personal growth is that you have to stay uncomfortable. When you find comfort in things that once caused discomfort, you’ve grown. It also means that to continue growing, you have to reenter discomfort.
There’s not much for positive feedback in discomfort, and that’s frustrating. Be patient; all things get easier with persistence.
This weekend, my husband and I will embrace the discomfort of a 24-hour trail relay race through the high desert. My daughter will embrace the discomfort of riding in the car with our post-run stink. Together, we’ll build resilience, and do it again next year.
As for you, what do have to lose by stepping into your discomfort?
Nicole Clark is the family and consumer science agent for the La Plata County Extension Office. Reach her at nicole.clark@colostate.edu or 382-6461.
