Okay, so it’s always cold, it always sucks, BUT it really is always worth it. It’s also really cool to see what comes up in your brain when you’re struggling.
I love showing myself that I can do hard things. Not just for bragging rights, but to prove to myself that my body is SO much more capable than my brain wants me to think it is. This is the best answer I can come up with as far as how to help build, and sustain self-confidence. Facing challenges in a controlled environment helps show yourself that “no matter what happens, I got this,” and that for me, is the key to confidence.
That’s why I love doing hot yoga, that’s why I make myself do cold plunges, and that’s why I love challenging workouts. It’s showing yourself that you can be completely okay, even when you’re in a really uncomfortable situation. It doesn’t have to be hot yoga or ice baths, but what is something that pushes you to discomfort so that you can practice coaching yourself through hard things? The longer you spend in controlled discomfort, the better therapist you become for yourself. The more you do it, the stronger the dialogue gets that you can do anything. Your brain will always try to come up with an excuse; the more practice you have in discomfort, the easier it is to turn off the nagging thoughts.
My new mantra is “this is what we do”.
It’s not a debate, it’s not something I can just get out of, this is what we do to live the life we want.
How to Get Comfortable in the Uncomfortable
- Breathe: Holding your breath is only helpful if you’re swimming. The breath will signal to your body that you’re ok and you will naturally calm down.
- Use Gratitude & Love: This is the ultimate distraction. Just start listing the thing you’re grateful for. I love my family, I love dogs, ice cream is awesome, etc.
- Respect Your Own Limits: This is a way to build trust with yourself. Your body knows exactly what you need, listen.
- Think: How can this moment apply to other aspects of your life? Can you learn to be non reactive? Can you learn to embrace discomfort as the human experience?
- Be Gentle: Remind yourself that this is a safe and controlled environment to show yourself you can do hard things.
Now repeat these steps to build self confidence to face all situations.
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