Nowadays, people are less tolerant of any sort of discomfort and believe they should not have to experience anything out of the ordinary. Discomfort is defined as an uneasy feeling. When we are pushed out of our comfort zone, we often assume something is wrong and someone else is to blame. We feel the need to fix any situation that causes unpleasantness, rather than learning to be with discomfort.
Nancy Colier LCSW, Rev., a psychotherapist, in her article An Ode to Feeling Uncomfortable, wrote: “Discomfort is one of the most important experiences we encounter as human beings. By avoiding and correcting situations that make us feel uncomfortable, we’re fixing a feeling that, while maybe not easy or pleasant, is also profoundly necessary to our well-being.”
Running from the feeling of discomfort is the same as running away from life. Therefore, instead of avoiding this part of our lives, it is important to learn to get through it. If we start building walls around ourselves to push away any discomfort, we will eventually deplete our emotional resilience and ability to adapt to difficult situations. We need to get comfortable with discomfort because it's a normal part of life and can be a catalyst for growth. Instead of treating discomfort as a problem, we should build skills for managing it with self-compassion.
In difficult moments, we build self-care skills and self-compassion. Uncomfortable feelings provide a chance for development and resilience. Discomfort isn't the enemy; discomfort helps us grow. In order to survive in this world, we must learn to deal with unpleasant emotions. Face your discomfort head-on and see it as a challenge. Being uncomfortable while living prepares us for the human experience.
So, fellow Pandas, we invite you to not categorize life as either good or bad. It is all meant for us to overcome our challenges and grow.
And if you are up for a challenge, we have more uncomfortable content here at Bored Panda. This is a selection of nightmare-inducing images for perfectionists and here, you can read people’s worst experiences at someone else’s house.
