There are many things that make me physically uncomfortable — wearing wet jeans, sitting on a crease in my pants, sleeping on one side for too long — just to name a few. But there are also a bunch of situations that make my brain uncomfortable and I’ve begun to pay attention to those.
What I realized, was that many of the things that make me mentally uncomfortable are things I should be doing or things that would benefit me directly. For example, I can be a little bit too accommodating when something doesn’t go my way. If something does fit right, I might deal with it instead of return it. If a hotel room isn’t perfect, I might not say something. If a coupon is rejected, I might not escalate it to the manager if I think I have a case. I go with the flow.
But avoiding an uncomfortable situation that involves the slightest bit of confrontation is probably not in my best interest. I should do what makes me uncomfortable.
Another example is meeting new people. Once I am talking to someone I am fine. I can hold a conversation. But for some reason I feel intimidated or overwhelmed about meeting new people or starting up a conversation. This definitely makes me uncomfortable.
But starting a conversation can lead to a lot of things, like learning a bunch of new information, meeting someone cool, or finding a business prospect. All of these things are benefits, not drawbacks of talking to someone new. So why don’t I do it more often?
As it pertains to muscular dystrophy, there are times when it can feel uncomfortable asking for an accommodation or asking someone for help. I still feel this at times even though I’ve gotten much better at it in recent years. But this is something I think a lot of people feel when it comes to a disability — they don’t feel comfortable asking for help or asking for what they need. But by doing so, there is a lot to gain — independence, freedom, fun, you name it.
Overall I am starting to learn that I should definitely avoid being physically uncomfortable, but I should try to make myself mentally uncomfortable more often. In my experience, the discomfort either was unwarranted or subsided dramatically after time and practice.
What makes you uncomfortable?
You Should Go Anyway 