The Gift of Discomfort

Why pressure isn't your enemy, it's your proof of progress.

“Modern rationale equates comfort and convenience, the total absence of pain and struggle, with happiness. I, along with a growing number of like-minded individuals, think that just the opposite may be true. We’ve grown so comfortable we’re miserable.” — Dean Karnazes, ultramarathon runner and author

This quote echoed in my mind after catching up with several athletes recently. Each described moments of high pressure: pounding hearts, shallow breaths and a general sense of discomfort, yet they still executed their skills and applied the mental tools they’d trained.

And yet when we debriefed many still thought they hadn’t performed well. Why? Because it felt uncomfortable. They mistook discomfort for failure.

That moment of reframing was powerful. When we recognised that discomfort is the price of growth, everything shifted. Mental skills don’t make pressure disappear; they help you show up and perform despite it.

The discomfort they felt wasn’t a red flag; it was a green light.

It got me thinking: we need to invite more discomfort into our lives. Too often, we operate inside our comfort zones or avoid things that challenge us altogether. But growth lives on the edge, in the unfamiliar, the difficult, the awkward.

And let’s be honest, our world is increasingly built to protect us from discomfort. Heated steering wheels. Carry-on luggage with wheels and seats so kids don’t have to walk. We’ve mistaken convenience for well-being.

However, real, lasting improvement always involves effort. Efort usually feels uncomfortable.

So next time you feel pressure rising, the nerves, the tight chest, the mental squeeze, remember this:

You’re not failing.

You’re growing.

Discomfort is your proof.