Understanding Discomfort

On the other side of discomfort lies growth. But how do you filter the decision?

“Do things that make you uncomfortable.” - a common saying you run into on the internet or social media. If you know anything about me at this point, you probably know what I am going to say… Context Matters. 

Too often, I find people are searching and seeking out discomfort simply to check something off the box.

What if instead of seeking to push through discomfort, we first sought to understand it. 

What is discomfort? A question I ponder and discuss with my clients regularly. But in reality, discomfort is simply a warning sign, an indicator. 

Maybe it’s that pit in your stomach… maybe a clenching of the jaw… maybe a different somatic experience. But discomfort is there to warn you. 

Now, let’s take this a bit further: What is the purpose of a warning signal? To alert danger or to simply alert? False alarms happen all the time… so do warning signs always mean danger? Absolutely not. 

Your interpretation of discomfort will need to come next… Is it a false alarm or is it real? Is it a story that is valid or rooted in our minds?

I opened this writing with a statement “on the other side of discomfort lies growth”. But what else matters?

We truly grow when we acknowledge discomfort and the decision lies in alignment with our values and beliefs… We also grow by saying “no” when discomfort arises and the decision is out of alignment with our values and beliefs. 

If we act out of accordance with what we believe, we experience “regret”... even if we were pushing through discomfort. 

Don’t be uncomfortable for the sake of being uncomfortable. Use discomfort as a warning sign and act when you need to act. 

No’s can provide just as much growth as yes.