The Pros and Cons of Discomfort

We all seem to have at least a few bad habits. Why is that?

Perhaps because they’re the path of least resistance. When we have the choice between doing something that’s difficult and good for us, or something that’s easy and potentially harmful, a big part of the decision-making process comes down to how much capacity we currently have for being uncomfortable. It’s called a comfort-zone for a reason, after all.

Fortunately or unfortunately, being uncomfortable is nearly inevitable, and it’s important to know what to do. Thoughtfully expanding your comfort zone, then, is key to living a life with fewer unmanageable situations.

Discomfort is something that we’re naturally programmed to avoid. It’s difficult, it’s stressful, and it’s… well, uncomfortable. But are there any benefits to discomfort?

Examples of healthy discomfort:

• Learning something new
• Starting a business
• Getting in shape

Doing the right thing is uncomfortable. Learning something new that needs to be practiced is uncomfortable. Growing as a person often requires new patterns of behavior that can being uncomfortable and anxiety producing until we get used to them. Being in an uncomfortable situation can prompt us to find innovative ways of fixing a problem.

Being uncomfortable also builds resilience. The capacity for discomfort is something that can be built up, just like building muscle. When you first experience it, it can be terrifying, painful and potentially humiliating, but over time it’s possible to learn to accept its presence in your life and eventually build up a toolbox of thoughts, actions and mindsets to help you navigate through it.

Healthy vs Unhealthy Discomfort

That isn’t to say that all discomfort is equally healthy. It’s entirely possible to self-flagellate yourself into paralysis or unnecessary risk taking. It’s important to know whether you’re building a muscle or spraining a joint. To be healthy discomfort, it needs to be within a few boundaries:

• It needs to be within your capacity to experience it, meaning that you can handle not just the experience, but that the added stress on top of all your other discomforts doesn’t crush you flat.
• It needs to be productive: discomfort is an investment, and if you’re not getting any returns on it, you may just be hurting yourself unnecessarily.
• It needs to be your own discomfort: It’s very easy to pass discomfort down the line to the people around you, and if you feel like you’re holding up well under it but the people around you aren’t faring as well, consider whether you’re actually shouldering it or just passing the burden to other people to deal with.
• It needs to be a discomfort that you can put aside once the situation is over, or with the potential to recharge from.

To be extremely clear: when we’re discussing discomfort here, we’re not discussing deep or chronic pain, trauma or abuse. No one is trying to convince you that any of those situations are healthy, good, or should keep happening.

If you can leave a situation and generally put that discomfort behind you, that has potential to be a healthy discomfort. If it’s something that you find yourself carrying consistently, that’s causing you ongoing distress and impacting your quality of life, consult a doctor or mental health professional and don’t let anyone convince you that it’s a character building experience to be grateful for.

Pros of (Healthy) Discomfort:

Potential for Growth:

One of the most important motivations for self-improvement, and indeed self discovery, is discomfort. If we’re never pushed to leave our comfort zone, there’s very little opportunity for learning, trying new things, or honing skills. Another term for that state of being? Being in a rut

Builds Confidence and Sharpens Problem-Solving Skills:

While some situations are more predictable than others, a large part of discomfort is uncertainty. If you build up a toolbox for dealing with difficult situations or overwhelming emotions, eventually that uncertainty starts to transform into confidence. You’ve handled this before, you know the challenges, and you have historical evidence that this situation or feeling isn’t going to knock you flat. Even if you are in a new situation, those tools and skills don’t just go away. Without the shock and fear of newness, embracing discomfort and working through the situation is often the smoothest path towards resolving the issue.

Builds Resilience:

It can be difficult to know the difference between good discomfort and bad discomfort in the moment, but generally speaking, unless you’re pushing yourself too hard too quickly, you’ll come out stronger for having worked through discomfort. The next time something comes up that takes you out of your comfort zone, while you won’t be any more prepared for whatever that particular thing is, you will be more experienced in handling yourself through discomfort and uncertainty.

New Opportunities Come with Leaving Your Comfort Zone:

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. When you start to open yourself up to new experiences, all kinds of new potential can unfold. Not all of this is good, but not all (or even most) of it is bad either.

Cons of (Healthy) Discomfort:

Discomfort can affect your emotions

A certain amount of stress is natural and normal, but if you’re going through a particularly tricky time in life, that may limit how much additional stress you can take on. If you find yourself becoming inexplicably sad, angry, or overwhelmed, it may be time to start seeing if you can take a few things off your plate.

Discomfort can cause you to freeze or take unnecessary risks

Bodies’ flight or fight response is notorious, but did you know that there are actually several more responses that are equally common? The biggest one is freezing. If you can’t seem to make yourself take action, or perhaps find yourself going in the opposite direction with extreme risk taking behavior, give yourself some cool-down time.

Discomfort (in too high a dose) can affect your health

If you’re suffering from things like high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, migraines, fatigue, irritability, anxiety or depression, you may be under too much stress. That doesn’t necessarily mean that this particular stress is unhealthy (or that any other specific discomfort is either), but take it as your body’s signal to check in with yourself.

What has your experience with discomfort been like? Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out CodeDesign for all your web design, web development, SEO and digital marketing needs!