Discomfort vs. Pain
I despise pain.
I hate cold water, cry getting my eyebrows tweezed, and as much as others enjoy it, find absolutely zero joy in any kind of pain in the bedroom.
Maybe that’s a bit TMI, but I tell people how pain averse I am, and inevitably they say to me, “that can’t be true! I’ve seen you almost pass out in a workout! You love pain!”
Which brings up an important conversation:
What is the difference between discomfort and pain?
Discomfort is an old friend to me. I can be uncomfortable for a very long time as I’m grinding in a workout or running a marathon. But as soon as those blisters pop or my hands rip, I’m out. I’m not interested once that discomfort morphs into pain.
Discomfort is a teacher. It’s something we can learn from as we continue to build our threshold to do hard things. Learning to enjoy the feeling of being uncomfortable is part of the process in building sustainable habits because so often, the only way to move forward is by putting ourselves in uncomfortable positions. It’s how we grow.
Pain is different though. Pain, to me, doesn’t have a purpose besides being a warning signal to stop. And we all need that warning signal sometimes.
If your back squat turns from discomfort to pain, that’s a physiological response that you need to take a step back and assess the root cause of your pain.
Pain is a teacher only to remind you when you’ve pushed too hard and take a step back toward discomfort.
“Discomfort is a teacher. It’s something we can learn from as we continue to build our threshold to do hard things.”
Sometimes we see people mistaking discomfort for pain—which can be dangerous. Are you feeling tight and sore? That’s discomfort. Are you feeling sharp, shooting pulses in your lower back? That’s pain.
Make sure to identify these triggers so that you know whether your next step should be forward or back.
The moral of the story:
Aim for discomfort. The more you lean into it, the more you grow.
Limit pain. It’s too intense, and oftentimes ends up being detrimental to your progress.
