Discomfort is Not the Enemy
“Miss Rachael, it’s so hot, can you turn on the air-conditioner”… It was only 25 degrees! If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me to adjust the temperature to their comfort, I’d probably have enough to buy a small island. I’m not generally one to switch on heating or cooling unless I’m working in extreme parts of the world; I truly believe there’s beauty and strength in embracing the elements, even when sometimes they make us sweat and shiver!
I worked with a boy once who couldn’t sweat. If he over heated, we called the ambulance. He was literally at risk of dying. Every time people complain to me about sweating, I remind them that it’s their personal cooling system, and they should be grateful for it!
Imagine setting off on a hike, beanie on your head and a light jacket. It’s cold, but the further you get up the mountain, the warmer you get on the inside. You take off your jacket but the air is still cool. The sky is blue and the birds are singing, it’s beautiful and peaceful. You might dance between having your jacket on or off, but I’d much rather nature with a tiny jacket inconvenience, than the stale air of a closed in gym! Maybe next hike, I would wear a light hoody instead of my jacket (dare I say that I learnt something from that experience!)
They say, “We can’t control the weather, but we can learn to dance in the rain,” That saying is more than just a metaphor for me — it’s a philosophy of life. I’ve spent years honing the art of not merely reacting but responding to life’s curveballs. The Rachael of yesterday might have run for cover at the first sign of rain, but today, I’m more inclined to check the forecast and pack a raincoat, and if I’m somewhere tropical, I just won’t wear a white t-shirt that day! Why should a little bit of water stop my adventures?
In a world where we wrap ourselves in climate-controlled spaces, it’s no wonder many struggle to cope when faced with the raw elements. We’ve become a society of complainers, worse yet, complaining about circumstances beyond our control. What’s the point in grumbling about the weather when it’s as unpredictable as life itself?
As an educator, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of productive struggles. By challenging students to think outside the box, we equip them with the resilience needed to navigate life’s complexities. Learning, after all, is uncomfortable. From deciphering letters to mastering tricky concepts, each milestone is marked by moments of discomfort then growth. Parents, please stop saving and bubble wrapping your children from discomfort, it is ok for them to be bored or a little anxious when learning and trying new things.
Discomfort isn’t confined to the classroom; it shows up in every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s learning to surf or the highs and lows of relationships, growth often springs from discomfort. We must learn to embrace it, it’s there we’ll find the life we dream of.
Returning to my role as a tour guide, I saw how adults, much like children, struggle with discomfort on a daily basis. Whether it’s the exertion of exercise, or meeting people with different opinions and views, many struggle to tell the difference between discomfort and danger and react as though it’s the end of the world. It’s in these moments that we can truly learn to be kind and compassionate with both ourselves and others, it’s also in these moments that we can cheer each other on. These moments give the human spirit a chance to grow.
The mind however, is a master of comfort, and will convince us to stay comfortable if we let it. Fear lives in the mind and it’s easy to settle for the familiar, to resist the call of adventure or the pursuit of passion. But the opportunities we really want, lie just beyond the edge of the comfort zone. To get there, we need to be able to embrace discomfort, push beyond our perceived limits, and create our own path.
Learning to control your mind, and realising that you don’t need to listen to all the stories it whispers to you, is the key to getting outside of your comfort zone. The less you react to those internal whispers, the quieter they become. It’s a process that won’t happen over night, but it is worth starting. Yoga opened me up to the power that voice had over me, whatever it said to me on the mat, it said to me in the world, however my world was always too noisy to notice.
Fun fact: There’s actually a part of our brain called the Amygdala. It was really useful back in the days where we had lions chasing us. Today, our world is a lot safer and comfortable, we are rarely in life threatening danger. But the amygdala hasn’t evolved. At the tiniest discomfort, it sends an alarm to our body to activate our sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) nervous system sending us in to a state of panic. Unwaranted panic.
The more you do things that make you uncomfortable (scared, anxious), the more likely you will be to take risks to move forward in life! You will make friends with your nervous system, and learn how to switch between a high stress state and one of calm. Deep breathing with a slow exhale is the love language of your nervous system. Learn to control it, so it doesn’t control you.
Every person’s comfort zone is unique. While I wouldn’t hesitate to be dropped into a country where I couldn’t speak the language, all by myself, I also struggle with having deep conversations of vulnerability in relationships. Your soul could be yearning for you to learn to dance salsa, but the thought of taking lessons may scare you deeply — do the lessons! What’s the worst thing that can happen? You might make new friends and create a whole new part of your life that you never even imagined was a possibility!
On so many levels, I’ve managed to live a life outside of my comfort zone, from constantly learning new skills and sports to working around the world in different industries. I look at new challenges and think “what’s the worst that can happen?” Or, I compare it to something I’ve done in the past and then it doesn’t seem so bad. Saying all of this, I’m also aware of where I do avoid, hold back and need growth. That is where my work is.
Where is yours?
