Can you be comfortable with being uncomfortable?

     I recently was asked to be a speaker and provide a presentation to a large facility in town. I would be speaking a total of 8 hours at 8 different locations and in front of 8 different groups of employees of this facility. Although I have been a speaker and given presentations before, I still was experiencing feelings of anxiety, nervousness, doubt, and inadequacy. Would they understand the material I was presenting? Would I bore them to death and have people fall asleep? Would anyone be motivated by the presentation I was giving? Would they walk out with hope in their heart or feel like it was a waste and an hour of their life they would never get back? Yes, my doubts can run DEEP!

     Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time preparing the presentation and headed off to my first facility. I was definitely nervous but I know this material! It is something I teach on a daily basis. I just kept reminding myself to stay focused on what I know and what I can control and leave the rest in God’s hands. I feel that if I provoked questions and people actually asked them in a presentation, then I did a good job at keeping them engaged. I had at least a handful of questions in the first presentation as well as multiple private questions afterward and follow up emails from a few employees, so overall, I considered it a success! This trend, with each presentation, has continued and I have received wonderful feedback that keeps me fueled and looking forward to the next presentation!

     As I have gone through this process, it continues to remind me of how uncomfortable I was before the presentations started. I had every doubt in the book racing through my mind! It also has made me very aware that I am asking people to step outside of their comfort zone and risk being “uncomfortable” to live the life they want to live. The core message from my presentation is ACTION. Action elicits CHANGE. CHANGE can be uncomfortable. CHANGE is the unknown. CHANGE can be scary. CHANGE can be exciting. ACTION...CHANGE…ACTION…CHANGE! COMFORTABLE…UNCOMFORTABLE…AH!

     So it got me thinking, how do you get comfortable with being uncomfortable? When uncomfortable things come up, what tools or tips can be put in place to make “taking action” easier each time? There are a lot of things that happen in life that place us in uncomfortable situations and how we respond can really make a big difference.

     Here are a few tips from Psychology Today by Pamela Madsen:

     1. Walk, or run outside. Movement in the fresh air can really help ease feelings of anxiety, stress and unease.

     2. Write about it. When I write, blog or journal, it is a tool for me to move through my own uncomfortable feelings. Try it.

     3. Help a friend. Get out of your own story and help someone with theirs! There is nothing like leaving your own uncomfortable feelings alone for a while to support someone else in theirs.

     4. Get on the table, and get a massage. Give a massage. Make love. Moving physical energy is wonderful for helping pass the weather through your body. Get out of your head and into your body.

     5. Give yourself some mantras: "Everything is going to be okay. If it's not Okay it's not Over" is a favorite of mine. Also reminding myself, that I am indeed the solid earth and the weather will pass.

     6. Water in. Water on. Water out. Water is a great mover of energy. Drink lots of it, pee, and take long showers or bathes.

     7. Be in stillness. Meditate and connect to your breath.

     8. Connect to your own spirituality and or religion. If you have a spiritual practice - practice it! Connecting to a higher power can be a beautiful way to find comfort in uncomfortable times.

     If you are going to win your own amazing race, it's all about not letting being uncomfortable make you throw in the towel, not start the race, or give up in the middle.And it is good to know, that whatever you are feeling discomfort about, there is someone else out there in the world, feeling exactly the same thing. We are never really alone in our discomfort. Sometimes just knowing that can make us feel more comfortable!

     I hope this message has resonated with you today and encouraged you to TAKE ACTION although it may be uncomfortable. You will be amazed at what you are capable of and I would LOVE to be the one you share your successes with! Please feel free to comment, post to Facebook, or even email me at hearley@mvhospital.net. Let’s go be great!


Until next time,
Hayley Earley, BS, CSCS, Pn1
hearley@mvhospital.net