Become Comfortable with the Uncomfortable

 

I continually learn something new and though learning is a passion of mine and I love it, actually getting down to the ‘doing’ part has produced some apprehension and a slight fear of the unknown as study turns to action.

 

Writing my first book, or rebuilding a set of new routines to advance my weight loss and improve my health, and anything else that was and is a ‘first time event’ for me, is very real and very uncomfortable. If you have never felt this discomfort then you haven’t done anything that challenges you.

 

The upside of this is once the new is mastered the physical pain miraculously disappeared. 

 

For me (and most of us) it’s all about the comfort zone.

 

I really know I’m alive when I’m outside my comfort zone, but the challenge is getting up the nerve to step out.

 

The comfort zone is an amazing place of security, comfort, safety, and protection.  Stepping out in this zone can be scary and, so often times, lonely, involving stretching, shedding, building and growing; this is the bit where physical pain comes into it. 

 

I remember, growing up, waking up with flashes of pain in my joints and my grandmother telling me that it was from growing pains, Expanding the comfort zone is pretty much the same.

 

With the growing pains comes growth, making you a bigger person, much like anything in life.  When mastering anything in life has finally been reached and with it increased inner strength and confidence, this is when the discomfort is worth it.

 

To truly be successful in life, you must be aware that this doesn’t just apply to the ‘big stuff’.  This applies across the board no matter how big or small; finances, health, relationships, it all requires the anxiety of the first step into the unknown in order to head in the right direction.

 

Here are 5 easy things to help with becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.  Starting with the most important:

 

1. Start by taking an honest look around you and take an objective note of what you notice.  Each time you do something different notice what your reaction to it is and where this reaction manifests within your body.   

2.  Keep a journal or diary of feelings and reactions as you continue to grow through stepping out of your comfort zone.  Yes, a little woo-woo I know, but this also serves to give you a physical reference later to see where you were compared to where you are now.

  3. Ask yourself the following questions in regards to growing and stretching:

 

“What needs to happen now to make it less painful for me?”

 

“What are the benefits for me in mastering this new thing (relationship, job, task etc)?”

 

“What am I learning from this experience?”

 

“What am I not learning from this experience?”

 

4. Turn negative self-talk into positive speak.  The more often positive self-talk is practiced the more comfortable it will become, until it’s fully integrated and natural. You will be surprised how many times in one day that you will self-deprecate and insult yourself.

 

5. Know that it takes time to become comfortable with something new and different.   Unfortunately there is no instant fix or cure all. The quicker the mastery level raises, the quicker the return to a comfort zone.

 

The outcome of this effort will be living how you want to live, and knowing that you’ve achieved this through your own efforts.   

 

Always remember to “Become comfortable with the uncomfortable”.  It’s during my uncomfortable moments, I remember that phrase and I tell myself that once mastered, I’ll find myself, not only comfortable again, but at a higher level than I was…well until the next time I decide to take on something new.