How do you sit with discomfort?

What discomfort are you facing at the moment? Are you worried about your job or a project that’s not on track? Is there physical pain somewhere in your body? What about the kids and how they’re coping after lockdowns? Perhaps you’re bored and restless or there’s some tension in your relationships.

We all face discomfort every day, either a little or a lot. Most of the time we can’t control what has occurred to create the discomfort. But we can control how we react to it.

Most of us have some reliably skilful ways to respond. We’ll prepare a task list to manage the overload, reach out to a friend or colleague for support, or do some exercise to relieve some stress.

We all have reliably unskilful ways, too. Particularly when we hit a certain threshold of discomfort. Our mind tumbles with unchecked thoughts and rumination. We get aggressive with people who have let us down, or we avoid having important conversations. Overworking, or drinking and eating mindlessly are also favourite discomfort avoiders.

How you react to and sit with discomfort is one of your greatest growth opportunities. That’s because having the tools to work with and process discomfort unlocks the keys to:

• Having difficult conversations at work and in life
• Taking on new challenges outside your comfort zone
• Bouncing back after set-backs or tragedy
• Deep and fulfilling relationships

Our aversion to discomfort is our biggest barrier to living a life that’s fully self-expressed and empowered, where we’re living our potential and operating in our Zone of Genius. Now that’s a statement! So what can you do to get better at sitting with discomfort?

• Access tools that help you skilfully feel the feelings that arise during discomfort - anger, fear, sadness. Here are my two favourite experience-inducing talks AKA meditations – feeling all feelings and mindfulness in a crisis.
• Practice separating fact from story
• Access the wisdom on the other side with a simple question: What is this moment here to teach me?

Working with a mindset coach is another useful way to go deeper with this work and experience the extraordinary freedom that arises when we can truly sit with the really tough bits of life.

If you want to get better at sitting with your discomfort, then talk to me about how mindset coaching can help.