The UN-Comfortable Zone

by Coach Mike

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

We typically avoid situations that feel scary; fear and anxiety overwhelm which can cause us to typically search for relief from those uncomfortable feelings. The feelings we experience are our irrational side working to keep us “safe”. If accept the feeling instead of allow time to understand it, it gets stronger throughout our lives. The feeling can become so strong that it can overpower us, and we find ways to numb that feeling, like avoiding conversations or situations, eating “comfort foods”, using drugs to forget our worries, etc…We live in a world of comfort. House is cold turn up the heat; house is too hot turn on the AC. Hungry? Grocery store/restaurants are everywhere. I could go on but look at your everyday life and imagine how you avoid being uncomfortable.

Take a COLD shower…brrrrr

Close your eyes and imagine standing under the shower head and turning on the cold water. What did you just experience? That is uncomfortable, right? What makes it uncomfortable though? For me, it’s the feeling on my skin and how my body reacts by starting to shiver and breathe erratically.

Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable…

This is a paradoxical statement but that is exactly what I did. I asked myself, “How can I make this experience more comfortable?” For me, focusing my attention on my breath and evening it out allowed me to draw focus inward where my body is still warm. In that moment I no longer felt the cold water beating on my skin but a sense of calm and warmth. This is something you can do. At the end of your normal shower turn it all the way to cold and stand there for 10 seconds. What is uncomfortable for you and how can you make it more comfortable?

“The only thing you have control over is your reaction.”

What has something so simple allowed me to practice?

1. Being present: Just standing under the shower knowing that I’m going to turn on the cold water my thoughts go into overdrive and it allows me to practice listening to them in a safe environment and flex my “focus” muscle to stay present.
2. Managing fear: Acknowledging the fear and listening to it allows me to release it by proactively changing my perspective and instead of fear I decide to react with joy.
3. Taking small steps: Joy of taking a cold shower didn’t happen overnight. I started with 10 seconds and disliked it very much. However, by sticking with it and adding about 5 seconds each time I was able to compassionately work with myself and now my whole shower consists of cold water.
4. Kicking my own butt: Getting uncomfortable allows me to demonstrate by example my initiative to kick my own butt instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Doing something you are resistant to, every single day, builds mental strength and over time this discipline becomes a habit that echoes in every area of life.
5. Break up the habit: Life is often a series of habits followed by other habits. Doing this allows me to practice getting uncomfortable, break up the habit and then work through the new situation.
6. Tolerance: Having a cold shower has helped me train my mind to not react to changes within the body, like leg cramps, itchy nose, or sore back. This tolerance has extended over to other aspects of life. For example, when someone cuts me off in traffic, I have learned to ignore the rush of adrenaline in the body and react properly.
7. Being humbled: Cold showers humble everyone and serve as an amazing way to give myself an occasional psychological kick in the butt. We are all the same, and you are not better than anyone else. As powerful and strong you consider yourself, we are all human beings. The cold shower has the power to humble everyone.
8. Acceptance: Overcoming this situation on a regular basis has helped me practice acceptance of the fact that there are things beyond my control and that life is not always going to go my way. This has helped boost willpower, build tolerance, and allows me to practice accepting the things that life throws at me.

Finding simple ways to move outside your comfort zone on a regular basis allows you to practice being comfortable with being uncomfortable. So, ask yourself this question. What makes you uncomfortable? How can you make it comfortable for you?

If you want more information regarding the health benefits of cold showers just Google it, you too may start this practice.