Getting Familiar With Discomfort

I didn’t realize how important discomfort would be during my journey from retired teacher to something else. I knew there would be challenges and change but I didn’t understand how essential it would be to accept not feeling comfortable, to realize that it’s a good thing. 

The Familiar Is Comfortable.

My automatic reaction to discomfort was to try to stop it and that seemed like a no-brainer. Who wants to feel uncomfortable? But then I realized that anything that’s unfamiliar will feel strange to me and I can’t change without doing unfamiliar things. Discomfort will be part of my journey. If there is no unease, it’s a signal that I’m standing still, and not progressing. 

“Few people actually enjoy the feeling of being uncomfortable. The challenge is to get past that initial feeling of wanting to return to the norm, so you can grow and benefit from that discomfort.”*

Unease Means Movement

I’m learning that accepting unease and making it a partner on my new path will help me to take the risks that I need to move forward. 

“…if you can view discomfort as a sign of initial movement towards whatever you hope or desire to achieve, it can motivate you to act…”**

Discomfort means I’m moving: just like when I start a journey to a new city, and I’m sitting on the plane feeling unsettled about leaving the place I know, home.

Strength From Remembering I’ve Done This Before

I’m learning a new career in college and trying to understand how to start an on-line business. Both goals are very new to me and fill me with hesitancy and unease. It’s a feeling I remember well from when I learned how to teach on Zoom during the pandemic. It’s also a feeling that I had almost a year ago when I started this blog. In both cases, the feeling settled down eventually and I developed the skills that I needed to move forward. By looking back at times when I was beginning a new skill and feeling uncertain, confused and lost, I’m starting to understand what new adventures will feel like in my body.  To me, beginner’s mind and body feels wobbly and unsettled. And that’s OK.

How did it feel for you, the last time you started working on a new goal?  Comment below.

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*https://www.forbes.com/sites/sujanpatel/2016/03/09/why-feeling-uncomfortable-is-the-key-to-success/?sh=3e9bda7b1913

**https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-resilience/202206/does-embracing-discomfort-help-or-hurt-your-life

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