It could be the knee that you hurt 10 years ago and are afraid of hurting again.

It could be the trauma from your childhood that has created a long-lasting internal wound that you avoid like the plague.

Or it could even be knowing that you need to start a certain habit but put it off because of the discomfort it may cause.

In all of these situations, there is discomfort. At the same time, however, in all of these situations, working through that discomfort and coming out on the other side will change your life.

Did you know that if you expect that something will hurt you, you are far more likely to experience pain or discomfort from it? This applies to emotional, physical and mental pain. It’s a placebo effect of sorts, but when you assume something is going to happen a certain way, it is far more likely to happen that way.

For example, if you believe that a certain exercise movement will hurt, you are more likely to feel discomfort from it. Likewise, if you believe that expressing your emotions will be unbearably uncomfortable, you are more likely to avoid it for that precise reason.

Much of the time, when we have some kind of uncomfortable memory or experience from our past, the last thing we want to do is dive into that discomfort and work through it.

But, as we have discussed here before, allowing unresolved trauma to linger in your life does not lead to anything good. While it may be uncomfortable to work through, it will benefit you so much to do so.

Similarly, exercise is notably uncomfortable yet has tremendous benefits. When you avoid the discomfort of exercise, you end up being physically weak and out of shape, and this can hold you back from your biggest potential.

While we are talking about two separate types of scenarios here, they do have something important in common: When you avoid things that are uncomfortable, you only hurt yourself more in the long run.

We often anticipate where discomfort will occur and do everything in our power to avoid it. Or we think that if there is even slight discomfort, that means that we should go in the opposite direction and stay where it’s comfortable.

But while working through both external and internal “injuries” will naturally bring about some discomfort, discomfort is not always a bad thing. However, when we assume that it is a bad thing, that is how our brain and body see it. Our brain turns on the fight or flight response, and we see these things as a threat to our safety and livelihood. But what if we challenge our brain to see the discomfort as a good thing?

Start telling yourself that experiencing the discomfort of self-improvement will be uncomfortable, but the outcomes will be beneficial for the rest of your life.

When we equate discomfort with something bad or wrong, that backs us into a corner in our life. There will be a point, sooner or later, where you will have to face some type of discomfort. Whether that is giving birth to a child, rehabbing yourself after an injury, going to therapy for a rough childhood or hitting rock bottom for one reason or another, at some point, we all will experience discomfort.

And when you’ve spent your life avoiding discomfort as much as possible, you set yourself up to experience life’s challenges in a much more severe way.

Studies show a positive correlation between one’s ability to tolerate discomfort or distress and overall life satisfaction. In other words, the more you are able to tolerate discomfort in a positive way, the better your quality of life and overall outlook on life will be.

You can strengthen your mind and body by choosing to engage in uncomfortable activities on a regular basis. By doing this, you also strengthen your ability to persevere through any discomfort you may face in your life.

When we challenge ourselves to not automatically see discomfort as “bad,” we allow ourselves to become much more adept at handling challenges in a constructive way rather than a destructive way.

Studies show that those who are willing to tolerate discomfort on a regular basis are prone to pursue a more fulfilling life because they are not afraid of the discomfort that may come along the way.

Some ways that you can expose yourself to intentional and purposeful discomfort include spending time alone with yourself, exercising, cold exposure or ice baths, meditation, fasting, waking up earlier or removing toxic relationships from your life.

So while it can be uncomfortable and difficult, facing discomfort and working through it rather than running away from it will help with your personal growth and development immensely.

It will also help to expand your knowledge base and development of new skills; build emotional, mental and physical resilience; strengthen your ability to “bounce back” or to pick yourself up after a challenge; and to formulate your perspective in a more optimistic way.

Lastly, embracing discomfort may also help to reveal hidden strengths, personality traits or skills that you did not know before (and may never have known if you had not faced that discomfort).

Confronting discomfort with an open mind can also help to break the often generational cycle of avoidance, which can hinder your personal and professional growth opportunities. Challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone and go after different opportunities can be uncomfortable, but it can help you improve your life in so many ways.

As you consider the rest of your life, know that those discomforts you may fear could be the link to a better version of you.

Remind yourself that discomfort does not always equal “bad,” hold your head high and challenge yourself to embrace discomfort as you create the best life possible for yourself.

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Studies show that those who are willing to tolerate discomfort on a regular basis are prone to pursue a more fulfilling life.

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