Befriend your discomfort. Sometimes keeping your words means
doing a task you’d rather put off. The mere thought of doing laundry, reading a
chapter in a statistics book, or proofreading a term paper can lead to
discomfort. In the face of such discomfort, we can procrastinate. Or we can use
this barrier as a means to get the job done.
Discomfort can be a gift – an opportunity to do valuable work on yourself. On the other side of discomfort lies mystery.
Begin by investigating the discomfort. Notice
the thoughts running through your head and speak them out loud: “I’d rather
walk on a bed of coals than do this.” “This is the last thing I want to do right
now.”
Also observe what’s happening with your
body. For example, are you breathing faster or slower than usual? Is your
breathing shallow or deep? Are your shoulders tight? Do you feel any tension in
your stomach?
Once you’re in contact with your mind and
body, stay with the discomfort a minutes longer. Don’t judge it as good or bad.
Accepting the thoughts and body sensations robs them of power. They might still
be there, but in time they can stop being a barrier for you.
Discomfort can be a gift – an opportunity to do valuable work on yourself. On the other side of discomfort lies mystery.
Well put. I like to exercise to deal with discomfort. Yoga and jogging puts me at a place where I'm more prepared to tackle the challenges ahead. For me there's nothing better than a morning jog before I have to tackle a project. After that I have nice warm cup of green tea or coffee. That's my way to get energized. Works every time. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel such discomfort sometimes that I tend to procrastinate. I realized procrastination is not a really good habit. What I do when I want to finish something is think of the reason why I should do it and what will be the consequence if I won't do it. That way, I'm able to finish the job and get rid of the discomfort.
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