“Those that do not move, do not notice their chains” - Rosa Luxemburg

I always used to joke with my other half that I wouldn’t last five minutes if I were spat out into the harsh wilderness to survive. I’m naturally quite blind, deaf and convinced that mine aren’t the kind of legs made for walking. I love my creature comforts. Famous for drooling by the fire and weaselling out of long bracing walks at family get-togethers, I’ll admit to being intolerant of the cold, hunger, tiredness and having to wait for things.

Comfort Crisis

We’re all used to a certain level of convenience and comfort in our lives, aren’t we? We no longer have to search for clean water or hunt for food. No more trawling for information through bookshelves or even talking to people - clicking a button does it all. No more waiting; if we have to wait, we get annoyed. Everything is easier, faster, and more convenient.

Author Michael Easter describes this situation in his book, The Comfort Crisis, “We are living in progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, under-challenged, safety-netted lives”, suggesting that this may not necessarily be what’s in our best interests, recognising that as human beings we need to be challenged to thrive.

The Soul Craves Growth

Unlike Michael Easter, I won’t put myself through an extreme survival mission in Alaska to test this theory (not for now, anyway!) But in our own ways, we always have opportunities to challenge ourselves. I was thinking about when in my life I have or haven’t breached my own comfort zones and realised a genuine but uncomfortable truth - that staying in comfortable spaces hasn’t brought me much fulfilment, but leaning into discomfort, counterintuitively, has.

“As human beings, our nervous system is hardwired for comfort. Whereas the essence of what makes us, us - some might say our soul - is hardwired for growth, And it’s managing that dynamic tension between how good a comfort zone feels and the innate calling of our potential that lies outside of that, that causes the frustration for most people and keeps them on the hamster wheel of mediocrity” - Peter Sage, (human behaviour expert)

Discomfort Zone

“Oh, this is soooo out of my comfort zone” - how often have you heard contestants on Strictly Come Dancing spout this gratingly common phrase as they proceed in the following weeks to gush that learning to dance was one of the best things they ever did. Unfortunately, I think we gloss over this phrase without really considering how important it is for all of us to experience it now and again. When you stretch your comfort zone, it doesn’t matter whether or not you win the Glitterball trophy or any other synonymous end goal. The life-changing bit is in achieving something you never thought possible, learning something new about yourself, increasing your self-regard and realising in these moments deeply and with certainty the immense capability and resilience we all possess within.

Stretch yourself

Of course, I’ll bring it back to learning yoga. One of my teachers defined a stretch recently simply as a movement out of the comfort zone. The body allows us to deliberately edge our boundaries as we compassionately work with it. When I practise yoga asana, I notice how my body neatly and kindly tries to protect me from pain and discomfort again and again. That it wants to take the easy road every single time. Hardwired for comfort, see? The moment you reach the edge of your stretch or the peak of a muscular burn is interesting; is it the brain or the body, or what stops you from going further?

“The pose begins when you want to get out of it” - Baron Baptiste

Embrace Discomfort

When we choose to learn, we leverage the power of discomfort, don’t we? We choose, with calm awareness, to bypass the body and mind's need for safety and tentatively decide to trace the unknown road less travelled.

We develop the ability to sit and breathe with strange sensations and acknowledge that discomfort (differentiated from pain) isn’t an enemy but an essential part of our learning. We decide in moments to stay steady with discomfort, accept it, be curious about it, and even grow to love and respect it for what it does for us. What was once uncomfortable becomes comfortable, and so the needle moves a little bit each time - sneakily, we begin to grow.

I know it’s hard to overcome our wiring for comfort. But if we are privileged enough to choose, why not choose doses of discomfort? To leave those warm sedentary spaces, step outside and begin to move.

Sometimes a guide can help. A champion, to shout (I mean, encourage!) at you to do more than you think you can, to help you realise you aren’t so fragile - that you’re strong, resilient and bursting with potential.

Let’s practise.