In western society, we are killing ourselves with comfort, searching for an elusive sense of happiness when what has the potential to bring us security, contentment, agency over our lives, and connection to people and purpose – is discomfort.

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” – James Baldwin

Life is not a reliable trajectory upward.  Sometimes we make more money, get more certainty, become more contented and healthier, but sometimes, for reasons we may or may not control, we go backward.  We lose things.  We struggle.

We don’t know when these things are going to happen, or how.  So settling into our comfort is on some level the equivalent of waiting quietly for a criminal to finish picking your front door lock and bound in to do whatever he pleases to you and your life.  And the waiting requires us to nurture our ability to ignore our instincts and the signals around us.  This means that while we wait for the setback that on some level we know is inevitable, we are concurrently stagnating, getting soft in our bodies and minds, and becoming more fearful and smaller.

Discomfort protects us from fear and atrophy.  And if we choose discomfort on our own terms, in ways that enrich rather than hurt us, we need not suffer from the unexpected.  Through practice, we create a new sense of comfort, confidence, and constancy that we can count on as always there, no matter what happens.  In practical terms, this can be a cure for depression, anxiety, financial trouble, overweight, social awkwardness, and be a catalyst for transforming into being truly in your Self.

How do you choose healthy discomfort?  Easy (and fun) – Just make a practice of trying some uncomfortable things on a regular basis.

For example, because life gets away from me and sometimes I am not very creative about how I spend my time, I make the cold shower a daily ritual.  Then no matter what else, I have done something every day that took no extra time and reminded me that I can do hard things.  Additionally, it is great for my health and I feel ALIVE and amazing when I get out.  But it sucks. Every. Time.

Here are some simple ways to play with discomfort.  (Standard disclaimer here: Don’t take advice from crackpots on the internet.  Some of these require a bit of discernment, so I am giving you credit for not being a dumbass.)

• Walk right into a very cold shower (Check out this interview with Wim Hof, the “Iceman” to get excited about it and learn more about what’s possible)
• Skip meals and play with fasting (great for your health and digestion, works to stabilize your blood sugar, and builds your character at the same time – read more here)
• Sleep on the floor
• Eat beans and rice for a few days
• Try not to spend a single dollar for a week
• Talk to strangers
• Take on some challenges to your audacity (Here is a great list from Jia Jiang, whose experiment in rejection is a blast to learn about)
• Get into the mountains and take on a trail that isn’t a slam dunk for you – scrabble up some rocks
• Exercise past your normal intensity level
• Walk in the woods at night
• Break any habit or inertia
• Get rid of your tv – try a media diet
• Meditate
• Have an adventure

That’s it.  Seek out discomfort on your terms and you’ll know that if the money runs out, you’ll still be happy.  If your body hurts, you can observe and endure it.  If people let you down, you’ll rebuild.  You will likely even find that adversity can be an enjoyable and life-affirming adventure, but in the meantime, you’re growing, getting stronger, connecting to a greater sense of being alive, and living a life that isn’t driven by fear, which is the best recipe for keeping adversity at bay in the first place.  Good luck, friends!!

*This post was inspired by a quote from Tim Ferriss’ interview of ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes.  If you aren’t already a Tim Ferriss fan, do yourself a favor and start enjoying his podcasts right away.  The Jamie Foxx and Wim Hof interviews are a couple of my favorites.  Learn more here: https://tim.blog/