The Power of Embracing Discomfort: Unlocking Mental Toughness and Physical Resilience

This is an amazing time to be alive and living in one of the civilized nations of the world. Sure, there are always some things that need improving, but when compared with another period in time, right here, right now is fantastic.

There are so many opportunities to live a controlled life. It wasn’t that long ago that humans had to submit to the will of Mother Nature. Today, most humans can live a warm, dry, cushioned existence without the need to brave the elements or adapt to the exterior environment. As with many things, this is both a blessing and a curse.

Being comfortable is not something that should be scoffed at as a physical or mental state of the weak-willed. Comfort is calming. It allows the body to relax and the mind to focus its’ energy on creative tasks other than how to stay warm or get cool. Comfort also makes it easier to sleep soundly, eat casually, and move effortlessly. These characteristics of comfort, however, can also have a negative effect on health and wellness.

Constant comfort makes humans soft. Sitting (or defecating!) in a squat position requires balance, coordination, mobility, and strength. Sitting cross-legged on the ground requires the muscles of the core to all be switched on. Or how about resting while lying on the floor. These positions all require being comfortable with discomfort.

What about feeling too warm or too cold? Not dangerously so, like taking a cold outdoor shower in the snow, but more like taking a winter walk in a light jacket. Does every waking moment need to be spent at a balmy 72 degrees in the house, car, and office?

Here is this week’s challenge.

For the next seven days, turn down the thermostat at home, in the car, and at the office, a single degree. That’s one degree a day until it reaches 64 degrees. Then, embrace it. See what changes. Did the body adapt? Does the chill of the outdoors feel less biting? Is the car ride manageable without the heater blasting?

Embrace mild discomfort. Find small ways to pepper it into daily life. Get outdoors and accept that it is cold. Sit on the floor to read a book. Lie on the floor and run the legs up the wall.

Take a comfort break. Push the body just outside of the cozy bubble in which it resides 24/7. Seek out ways to be physically uncomfortable, and be amazed at how the mind sharpens and the body hardens.