One of the most important things that I’ve learned over the last few years is to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. This has manifest in two different ways.
In the past, if I was uncomfortable with something, I’d always want to fix it immediately. Like, right this minute. Like RIGHT NOW. I wasn’t capable of sitting with something that needed fixing, even if sitting with it might settle me down and make the fixing of it go more smoothly. Letter from the IRS? Something wrong with my pay? I’d take action immediately, and be really upset until things were settled.
In addition, I’m now much more comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations and doing uncomfortable things. The one area I would not try to fix immediately was having uncomfortable conversations. I would avoid them because I wanted to stay away from the discomfort they would be bring. I’d put off doing things that made me uncomfortable, which of course, just always made things worse.
I’m even at the point now where I seek out uncomfortable situations to train myself to deal better with discomfort. I now have a weird habit of walking in bad weather — rain, wind, snow — as if were 75 and sunny. I try to do the heavier weight at the gym.
I’m working on the cold shower thing. Maybe some day I’ll go the cold plunge route. I’ll have to work my way up to that.