01 Feb Your Discomfort is Direction. Don’t Avoid it.
As humans, we’re very good at trying to get rid of discomfort. We distract ourselves, we stay busy, we push through. We tell ourselves we should be grateful…anything to avoid noticing that something isn’t quite right.
As humans, this makes sense because discomfort is often unpleasant so avoiding it is understandable. However, discomfort itself isn’t the problem, but avoiding it is.
Most people I work with are functioning very well on the outside. They’re showing up, they’re getting things done. But often there’s a quiet unease underneath it all, a sense of something isn’t right, but I can’t put my finger on it.
That feeling matters. Ignored, it gets louder.
What starts as restlessness becomes frustration.
What begins as mild anxiety turns into constant tension.
What feels like boredom hardens into emptiness.
Feeling off for a day or two is normal. The concern comes with persistent discomfort, the kind that lingers week after week, subtly draining our energy and focus. That’s when our inner guidance system is trying to tell us something important.
Discomfort left unacknowledged doesn’t fade on its own. The longer we stay out of alignment, the heavier life feels. What once seemed manageable begins to wear us down.
A metaphor that reflects this well is the following “If you get on the wrong train, get off at the closest station, the ticket home only gets more expensive the longer you stay.”
Discomfort works the same way. It’s our signal to pause, notice and course-correct. The quicker we notice and tend to it, the less problematic it becomes.
These feelings invite us back into alignment with ourselves. We don’t need to overthink it or make a big decision right away. We just need to ask:
What is this feeling asking of me? What does it indicate I need more or less of?
Discomfort doesn’t arrive to derail us. If we let it, it can guide us back to clarity and to ourselves.
It isn’t something to fear or fight.
It’s communication and direction and if we’re willing to listen, it’s a gift.