Show Notes
Understanding that Uncomfortable situations and feelings are OK and normal, and actually taking action despite them are two very different things. It’s difficult for us to take action if we are in the middle of this discomfort, especially if we haven’t trained ourselves to do so. As we gradually train ourselves to get better with this dealing with the uncomfortable our ability to take action improves. There are strategies that we can use to help us get through this especially in the initial stages. Not all these techniques are going to work for everyone, and the techniques are often best utilised in different circumstances.
Develop a mantra
Art Green, episode 65, uses the technique of creating a mantra for himself. When faced with an uncomfortable task he’ll utilise a short phrase to help build confidence and to help create momentum to start the task. Digby Scott from episode 68 also uses this strategy to get uncomfortable. A manta should be short, positive, punchy, easy to repeat, and should increase your energy levels.
Art uses “You’re Art Green – let’s go dominate”
Digby uses “You only live once – you don’t want to miss out on this”
Repeating this mantra to yourself if you’re reticent to start a short task that you know you’ll be better if you do, can give you the initial kick to get you moving.
Picture the task 10 times bigger
If it’s something that is going to take a lot of time or effort, or the end point is far away, sometimes a mantra isn’t enough to get you moving. Grant “Axe” Rawlinson, episode 75, uses a different strategy. He looks at the task that he needs to complete and then he multiplies it by 10x and tries to work out how to achieve it. Once he does this, looking at that initial challenge isn’t so scary any longer. He was thinking of rowing across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand, this is a pretty decent challenge, and it was a scary one to look at. Rather than just asking how he could complete this row, Grant multiplied this task and asked himself how he could get from Singapore to New Zealand completely under human power. Suddenly rowing the Tasman Sea didn’t seem like such a big deal.
We’ll often get overwhelmed with the size of a challenge. If we stop and think bigger and formulate a quick strategy to deal with this almost incomprehensible task then looking back to our original challenging is no longer as daunting.
Take 5 breaths and ask – is this true?
Talking back to that voice in our head is pretty tough at times. Especially because we hardly ever do it. It’s much easier to believe the thoughts and preconceived ideas that pop up rather than questioning them.
Justine Hamill, episode 76, trains herself to talk back to that voice. When she becomes aware of uncomfortable feelings or thoughts telling her something she stops before acting on them. In this pause she asks herself the question “Is this true?” She questions those voices in her head, the ones that we have created to try and keep ourselves “safe”, but also the ones that usually hold us back. Asking this question gives her a chance to analyse the situation and recognise if this is something she actually needs to worry about, or if those voices are trying to mislead her.
We all question the voice that tells us to jump out into traffic, or to let go if we’re high up, why don’t we question the one that tells us to stop?
Urge Surfing
This one is a concept I used when I stopped drinking. An urge or feeling is like a wave. It starts to build up in us getting bigger and bigger until it peaks and crashes furiously on the shore.
Noticing this uncomfortable feeling and thinking of it like a wave can allow us to surf along with it rather than letting it crash over the top of us and push us down. Surfing along with the feeling can actually almost be an enjoyable experience because we know it’s going to pass. Riding like we ride an ecstatic feeling can almost give you the same buzz.
Once that uncomfortable feeling has passed then you can get down to business, or you might even find that riding the feeling motivates you to start.
Ask what is the worst case scenario, then ask if you can get through that?
Lucy Revill, episode 69, and Traver Boehm, episode 73, approach uncomfortable situations by analysing what the worst case scenario is.
When faced with an uncomfortable challenge our thought processes will often spiral around all the things that could go wrong. Rather than spending time getting wrapped up in this, it’s often more useful to identify the one thing that would be the worst case scenario. If what we feared worst from this situation were to happen. Once we’ve figured out what the worst case scenario is, then we can ask ourselves, “How can I get through that?”
Planning for the worst case scenario can take away some of the anxiety around a challenge. Knowing what you’ll do if things go wrong will release some of the tension associated with worrying about it. Then you’re much more likely to get going.
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Host: Chris Desmond
