Can being uncomfortable be the key to overcoming your fears and finding happiness?

Embracing Discomfort 

<img alt="Jesse Choo" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/2*gpfUVmBVK9fOhh9aACG0RA" width="48" height="48">People enjoy feeling comfortable. Whether it’s eating at their favourite restaurant, or enjoying a nice cocktail while watching a movie, everyone has their own favourite things in life that make them comfortable.There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel comfortable, it’s human nature.<a href="https://news.yale.edu/2018/07/19/arent-sure-brain-primed-learning" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">According to a Yale research study</a>, humans only learn when there is uncertainty. This means if you’re not in a new or unfamiliar situation, you are not utilizing a unique part of your brain. Let’s call that area the learning center of your brain.In 2017, I was introduced to the concept that becoming comfortable in discomfort is an important skill to have in life. I attended a leadership conference in Vancouver (Canada) and Amanda Lang (author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Discomfort-What-Avoid-Need-ebook/dp/B01I9CK5KA" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">The Beauty of Discomfort</a>) was one of the speakers.Amanda spoke about how some people embrace change, while others hide from it. For me, the biggest takeaway was how the most successful people in the world embraced change. They welcomed it and proactively seeked out change over and over again. These people consistently pushed the boundaries of their comfort zones.On the same day that I attended the leadership conference, I reflected on my life. I remember thinking to myself about whether I embraced change and if I was too comfortable in my life.I’m not going to sugar coat it, I was very comfortable in my life.My growth as a person hit a plateau because of how comfortable I was with my life. So I made it a goal to put myself in more situations that forced me to push the boundaries of my comfort zone, and eventually embrace discomfort.What are ways to embrace discomfort? Begin with small changes that pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone. You don’t have to aim for the big play and get a home run. Just hitting the ball and getting to first base is a great start.To share a few examples of what I did over the years, I regularly changed responsibilities and roles at work to continue honing my skills as a business management professional. I also dabbled with freelancing to make extra money on the side. And to improve my health and personal fitness, I have transitioned to eating a predominantly plant-based diet and frequently tried out new workout routines at the gym.Embracing discomfort may be a lot to handle for most people. This is why we often see people remain in jobs and relationships they are not happy with.Here are a few things I learned along the way to help build up your discomfort tolerance.<figure><img alt="Shake up your routine" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*ef88pORNIUuNOWqtPZO5_A" width="680" height="392"><figcaption class="ho hp cz cx cy hq hr ce b fa cg gc" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">(Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=731492" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Free-Photos</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=731492" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pixabay</a>)</figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">1) Shake up your routine</h1>Your daily routine may be hindering your personal growth.Think about this, how often are you on auto-pilot, where you turn off your brain, and just let routine take over in your day-to-day life?You will be amazed by how many daily patterns you’ve unconsciously become accustomed to. For example, do you always listen to music on your commute to work? How about listening to audiobooks instead and expand your knowledge? Or what if you considered biking to work instead of driving, and get a cardio exercise simultaneously?Recognizing those routines is the first step to shaking them up and to build up your discomfort tolerance.Remember, start small. You don’t have to throw your entire routine out the window just to step out of your comfort zone.<figure><img alt="Learn to say yes, a little more often" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*Du9otSzJVgqi0dxopSrOmg.jpeg" width="680" height="454"><figcaption class="ho hp cz cx cy hq hr ce b fa cg gc" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">(Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@emrecan?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Emre Can</a> from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/yes-signage-on-brown-wooden-chalkboard-2110950/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pexels</a>)</figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">2) Learn to say yes, a little more often</h1>Some people do everything they can to avoid breaking out of their comfort zone. However you only grow as a person when you try new things.Consider answering yes the next time you get asked to present in front of your coworkers at your next meeting at work, or say yes to taking a cooking class, or respond with a yes when your friends ask you to join a recreational sports league with them.You never know what you may discover about yourself until you try something different. For myself, I never thought I would enjoy running half-marathon races until I reluctantly said yes to my colleague about running with him during my lunch breaks at work.<figure><img alt="Discomfort helps build character and grit" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*Qa0VVBPvqeJUYGXC6ip8yQ.jpeg" width="680" height="454"><figcaption class="ho hp cz cx cy hq hr ce b fa cg gc" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">(Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/@evelyn-chong-253251?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Evelyn Chong</a> from <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-holding-brown-rope-1458696/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pexels</a>)</figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">3) Discomfort helps build character and grit</h1>As I have alluded to many times throughout this article, one does not grow when there are no new challenges. Going through new experiences is what builds character and grit. Even if the task at hand may seem very difficult, your mind and body will find a way to rise to the challenge.<BLOCKQUOTE>Like the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant once said, “pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.”</BLOCKQUOTE><figure><img alt="If you’re thinking about it, just do it" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*UG1GBfKy9Gzp50tcVoi4-g.jpeg" width="680" height="454"><figcaption class="ho hp cz cx cy hq hr ce b fa cg gc" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">(Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/Fotorech-5554393/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4782721" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Daniel Reche</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4782721" class="ck hs" rel="noopener nofollow" dir="ltr">Pixabay</a>)</figcaption></figure><h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">4) If you’re thinking about it, just do it</h1>No, this is not a Nike brand slogan.Ask yourself, have you ever had an idea of something you wanted to try, explore, or experience? It probably happens quite often.But you may have heard a voice in your head that tried to talk yourself out of it. Then that feeling of discomfort may have prompted you to reject and turn away the opportunity.My advice for the next time you have an opportunity to experience something new, take the plunge and go for it.Allow me to share a personal story. In 2019, a year after my wife and I got married, we decided we didn’t want to have children yet and were both eager for a new adventure.So what did we do? We packed up our life in Vancouver, Canada and moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.It was not a decision we made overnight. In fact, we were thinking about making the move for a few years actually. But what took us so long to make the decision? Well, you guessed it. We were too comfortable with our lives at home in Canada.We were uncomfortable with the idea of moving away from the only place we knew as home and leaving our family and friends behind.What changed? My wife and I started to realize that if we didn’t make this move soon, it may be more challenging to do this later on in our life when we have children. So we both agreed that now is the time to just do it.Moving to a foreign country has been huge in my personal growth.At the time of this article, my wife and I have lived in Amsterdam for 6 months. We have learned to really embrace discomfort. We have put ourselves out there to make new friends, learned to enjoy being alone (as individuals and together as a couple), and learned to appreciate how things work differently than from what we were used to back home.Living abroad has changed and challenged our views on how we perceive the world.By going through this experience, I have developed more grit and stronger self-confidence in myself. All good things to have.I leave you with this..Life is really unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen next. Never get too comfortable and always be ready for change. When you feel complacent, that’s when you fall into the trap of not learning anything new and begin to minimize your personal growth.Keep pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and always keep learning. Embrace the discomfort.

What are ways to embrace discomfort? Begin with small changes that pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone..

Understand yourself and those around you.

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Psychology

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Mindfulness

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Meditation

People enjoy feeling comfortable. Whether it’s eating at their favourite restaurant, or enjoying a nice cocktail while watching a movie, everyone has their own favourite things in life that make them comfortable.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel comfortable, it’s human nature.

<a href="https://news.yale.edu/2018/07/19/arent-sure-brain-primed-learning">According to a Yale research study </a>, humans only learn when there is uncertainty. This means if you’re not in a new or unfamiliar situation, you are not utilizing a unique part of your brain. Let’s call that area the learning center of your brain.

In 2017, I was introduced to the concept that becoming comfortable in discomfort is an important skill to have in life. I attended a leadership conference in Vancouver (Canada) and Amanda Lang (author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Discomfort-What-Avoid-Need-ebook/dp/B01I9CK5KA">The Beauty of Discomfort </a>) was one of the speakers.

Amanda spoke about how some people embrace change, while others hide from it. For me, the biggest takeaway was how the most successful people in the world embraced change. They welcomed it and proactively seeked out change over and over again. These people consistently pushed the boundaries of their comfort zones.

On the same day that I attended the leadership conference, I reflected on my life. I remember thinking to myself about whether I embraced change and if I was too comfortable in my life.

I’m not going to sugar coat it, I was very comfortable in my life.

My growth as a person hit a plateau because of how comfortable I was with my life. So I made it a goal to put myself in more situations that forced me to push the boundaries of my comfort zone, and eventually embrace discomfort.

What are ways to embrace discomfort? Begin with small changes that pushes the boundaries of your comfort zone. You don’t have to aim for the big play and get a home run. Just hitting the ball and getting to first base is a great start.

To share a few examples of what I did over the years, I regularly changed responsibilities and roles at work to continue honing my skills as a business management professional. I also dabbled with freelancing to make extra money on the side. And to improve my health and personal fitness, I have transitioned to eating a predominantly plant-based diet and frequently tried out new workout routines at the gym.

Embracing discomfort may be a lot to handle for most people. This is why we often see people remain in jobs and relationships they are not happy with.

Here are a few things I learned along the way to help build up your discomfort tolerance.

Your daily routine may be hindering your personal growth.

Think about this, how often are you on auto-pilot, where you turn off your brain, and just let routine take over in your day-to-day life?

You will be amazed by how many daily patterns you’ve unconsciously become accustomed to. For example, do you always listen to music on your commute to work? How about listening to audiobooks instead and expand your knowledge? Or what if you considered biking to work instead of driving, and get a cardio exercise simultaneously?

Recognizing those routines is the first step to shaking them up and to build up your discomfort tolerance.

Remember, start small. You don’t have to throw your entire routine out the window just to step out of your comfort zone.

Some people do everything they can to avoid breaking out of their comfort zone. However you only grow as a person when you try new things.

Consider answering yes the next time you get asked to present in front of your coworkers at your next meeting at work, or say yes to taking a cooking class, or respond with a yes when your friends ask you to join a recreational sports league with them.

You never know what you may discover about yourself until you try something different. For myself, I never thought I would enjoy running half-marathon races until I reluctantly said yes to my colleague about running with him during my lunch breaks at work.

3) Discomfort helps build character and grit

As I have alluded to many times throughout this article, one does not grow when there are no new challenges. Going through new experiences is what builds character and grit. Even if the task at hand may seem very difficult, your mind and body will find a way to rise to the challenge.

Like the late basketball legend Kobe Bryant once said, “pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

4) If you’re thinking about it, just do it

No, this is not a Nike brand slogan.

Ask yourself, have you ever had an idea of something you wanted to try, explore, or experience? It probably happens quite often.

But you may have heard a voice in your head that tried to talk yourself out of it. Then that feeling of discomfort may have prompted you to reject and turn away the opportunity.

My advice for the next time you have an opportunity to experience something new, take the plunge and go for it.

Allow me to share a personal story. In 2019, a year after my wife and I got married, we decided we didn’t want to have children yet and were both eager for a new adventure.

So what did we do? We packed up our life in Vancouver, Canada and moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

It was not a decision we made overnight. In fact, we were thinking about making the move for a few years actually. But what took us so long to make the decision? Well, you guessed it. We were too comfortable with our lives at home in Canada.

We were uncomfortable with the idea of moving away from the only place we knew as home and leaving our family and friends behind.

What changed? My wife and I started to realize that if we didn’t make this move soon, it may be more challenging to do this later on in our life when we have children. So we both agreed that now is the time to just do it.

Moving to a foreign country has been huge in my personal growth.

At the time of this article, my wife and I have lived in Amsterdam for 6 months. We have learned to really embrace discomfort. We have put ourselves out there to make new friends, learned to enjoy being alone (as individuals and together as a couple), and learned to appreciate how things work differently than from what we were used to back home.

Living abroad has changed and challenged our views on how we perceive the world.

By going through this experience, I have developed more grit and stronger self-confidence in myself. All good things to have.

I leave you with this..

Life is really unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen next. Never get too comfortable and always be ready for change. When you feel complacent, that’s when you fall into the trap of not learning anything new and begin to minimize your personal growth.

Keep pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and always keep learning. Embrace the discomfort.

Why embracing discomfort is important for personal growth

Embracing Discomfort

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