Photo by Tobias Oetiker on Unsplash

I tried an ice bath last weekend.

Now, before you scroll past this, I want to caveat that this is NOT a post about productivity. It’s about witnessing how our body and mind deal with uncomfortable situations.

In front of me was a 4-degree cold bath. I knew it would be daunting, so before my mind could even think nasty thoughts, I jumped straight in.

I knew of the many benefits of plunging into ice cold water for a few minutes. Muscle recovery. Decreased inflammation. Improved mental health and wellbeing.

But still, an ice bath is extremely overwhelming.

True enough, it was a shock to the system, and the fight-or-flight response was SO strong. All my body wanted to do was to get out of there.

Good thing my gym coach prefaced that there would be a few seconds of panic. She said all I needed to do was sit through the first 30 seconds.

That’s what I did, even when my legs and arms were feeling like they were being squeezed and pulled at the same time.

“I can do hard things. I can do hard things. I can do hard things.”

After 20 seconds, it felt better. Heaps better.

My body began to understand that I was in a safe space and that it was really meant to experience the discomfort (because I intended to).

I was in the bath for two solid minutes.

This is pretty much the same when we find discomfort in our day-to-day.

Starting a business. Jumping into that project you’ve put off for the longest time. Engaging in a difficult conversation.

There’s no easy way but to feel it. Sit with it.

If we trust the process, our mind and body will realize that we can deal with (and even embrace) the discomfort.

Only then can we think through the stress and panic to unpack the actions to take.

My favorite quote: You’re stronger than you seem. Smarter than you think. Braver than you believe.

So next time you’re faced with something uncomfortable, remind yourself that you are capable of embracing the discomfort.

You can do hard things. 💪🏼