Think of a time in your life when you overcame a major physical or mental challenge. It could have been a period of exams, giving birth, training or practicing for an event or trying a new activity that scared you. How hard was that for you? If you’re like most people, you were uncomfortable. You wanted to quit many times.

Now, reflect back on the person you became afterwards. What did you learn from that challenge? Chances are you became mentally stronger, wiser, more insightful, and proud of what you achieved. You could say, ‘I survived that, I did that’. This is confidence. Discomfort and challenge is necessary to grow, improve and change.

Anything worth achieving is not easy. Without discomfort there is no change. In order to lose fat, sometimes you’ll be hungry. In order to get stronger, sometimes you’ll be tired in the gym . In order to transform your body, sometimes you’ll be uncomfortable. It’s actually NECESSARY, and expected.

Managing discomfort is a skill that can be practiced. The more you can stay strong and focused during discomfort, the more change you can deal with. It’s not even about not losing control, it’s the ability to regain it quickly.

We can deal with discomfort. Our bodies have the mechanisms necessary for managing and bouncing back from discomfort. One of those mechanisms is purpose and future thinking, if we have a strong purpose, we can more easily tolerate discomfort in the moment. Discomfort in the right amount makes us stronger. To change your experience of discomfort, find your bigger purpose and focus on it:

What brings you joy?

What excites you about your weight loss or fitness journey?

What are your goals?

Those are the things that get you through discomfort. Focus on those things.

Stay tuned for a follow up piece on how this can be applied to changing behaviours around food, which can often be very uncomfortable. There’s some great tips you’ll be able to action too.

If you want to make some health and fitness changes, schedule your free “No Sweat Intro” to talk with a coach about your goals, and get a plan to achieve them!

#discomfort #changeishard #challengesmakeyoustronger #purpose #healthandfitness #goals #morethanagym