The Beauty of Discomfort

“There is a stone in my shoe, I’ve tried to shake it out, but when I take my shoe off and shake, nothing falls out, I rub my sock, but there is nothing there. I put my shoe back on and there it is again, a stone in my shoe.”

The Stone In My Shoe by Danny Carr

Amanda Lang wrote a great book titled “The Beauty of Discomfort”.

• A stone in a walking shoe creates discomfort.

• The unknown in a dark alley causes discomfort.

• An empty bank account creates discomfort.

• Being fired from a job off creates discomfort.

The key is how we cope with this discomfort. Because, as Amanda Lang states, “human beings are wired to seek comfort.”

• Am I mindful and shift my weight to the other leg?

• Am I redefining the dark alley in my mind by imagining the positive?

• Am I in denial and continue to spend using my credit card?

• Am I embracing this change and start my own business?

“Truly successful people don’t merely tolerate discomfort—they embrace it and seek it out again and again. Business founders and university students, top athletes and couch potatoes, meditation gurus, and military leaders all have very different ways of coping with discomfort, but the most successful among them believe that withstanding discomfort is a skill that has helped them in hugely positive ways. Some were forced into discomfort through no choice of their own—a life-altering illness, a business fiasco—while others signed up for it because they had goals they were determined to achieve.” – Amanda Lang

“Some degree of discomfort is inherently good for you. It can spur you on, pushing you to test your own limits. Learning to tolerate, and then embrace, discomfort is the foundation for change, for individuals and businesses alike. Becoming comfortable with discomfort won’t just make us more resilient and more successful, however we define success. It will also make us happier.” – Amanda Lang

As I think about becoming comfortable with discomfort, I feel I need to break it down into a continuous cycle of three steps: 

1. Since I am wired for comfort, discomfort causes change.

2. The change leads to comfort.

3. And then I actively seek out the next discomfort.

Stephen Guise explains the benefits very well: “Temporary Discomfort Increases Your Long-Term Comfort Zone. Bingo! The more discomfort you introduce into your life, the more your comfort zone will expand. This is a whole lot more valuable than any cozy night on the couch. The whole point of expanding your comfort zone is to be more comfortable in more situations.”

Stephen also provides a couple of guardrails to follow when embracing discomfort:

• Do it when it feels safe: that may involve taking a series of smaller steps into the discomfort zone.

• Do it when it is repeatable: a one-time, unrepeatable step does not increase your comfort zone.

• Do it when there is a clear benefit: it needs to make you stronger, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

Intentionally scalding your skin with hot water does not qualify. Many, many others do! Think about what causes you discomfort and then actively seek it out.

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Karl Moore – Why Being Uncomfortable Can Be A Great Thing

Stephen Guise – Why It’s So Important to Seek Discomfort

Amanda Lang – The Beauty of Discomfort

Photo by Anne Gosewehr