Get comfortable being uncomfortable

I haven’t had a hot shower in 49 days (not that I’m counting!)

Yes, I have washed and yes hot water is available. I have only told a handful of people that I am doing it. The obvious question that comes back to me is… “why?!”

I have been in the habit of listening to podcasts or reading about a variety of ‘successful people’ for a few years now. I have heard numerous times from different people that there are a lot of benefits from having a cold shower/ ice bath/ jumping into cold water.

Some of them are:

• improves blood circulation,
• increases alertness,
• strengthens immunity,
• keeps skin and hair healthy
• speeds up muscle soreness recovery etc.

To be honest I’m not really fussed about all of these. The main reason I am doing it is that I’m trying to get comfortable being uncomfortable. It leads on from forming new habits that make me change for the better. There’s no doubt that if I hadn’t heard of some of the benefits of having a cold shower I wouldn’t even consider it. But I knew it was a simple way for me to do something every day that I didn’t really want to do and make it become normal or comfortable.

Every time I step into the shower I am tempted to turn the heat up. But after a few deep breathes it’s actually not that bad and I always feel better for it afterwards. It’s using the same principles as the book “eat that frog”. If you were to eat a live frog first thing in the morning, you’d be confident that’s the worst thing you will do that day (it can only get better!). So if there’s something important you need to do, do it now and you know the day will only get better!

To achieve different goals I know that I will have to do things that I am not used to doing. So the more comfortable I get to being uncomfortable, the easier it will become reach my goals.

 

Different new things we have tried recently:

• Learn something new (property/ how to touch type/ code, how to speed read etc.)
• Take action on ideas
• Write a blog
• Meet new people (skype/ in person)
• Start conversations with strangers/ different social groups
• Eat a whole food plant based diet
• Do something different at work
• Wear something ‘different’
• Set and track goals