By Mary Monahan 

Who wants to be uncomfortable? Nobody has ever said “Hey, do me a favor. Can you make me uncomfortable, please?    2020 has offered several unusual lessons for me. My yoga class was no different.  Yoga is a practice that provides flexibility, strength, and mind-body awareness through a series of body poses.  As I maneuvered my body into the next pose, the yoga class instructor demonstrated and assured us that, Pigeon Pose, (pictured, right)  that a position without comfort will create flexibility by stretching our hips and thighs.  Our attention to the process will access your body limits by transforming you within.  Strongly vocalizing her statements, processing her words to recognize two distinct feelings:  discomfort versus pain, my experience was not painful, just uncomfortable.   Modifications are strongly encouraged if you are in pain to ease that. You need to listen to your body.  With discomfort, continue to adjust your body, breathing into those areas of uncomfortableness. To find peace, you must work through it. She clearly stated, “Life is UNCOMFORTABLE  You will need to settle in that feeling briefly.”  That statement triggered annoyance within me… Really!!! The whole year of 2020 is a series of uncomfortable events.  Good Advice Yogi - Settle in!

The initial reactions of annoyance are common when faced with discomfort. When we are pushed out of our comfort zone, a visceral reaction is normal. Everyone has a “go-to” feeling of discomfort – dependent on the level of emotional intelligence.  The experience of moments of silence, or anger, sadness, aggressiveness, and sometimes complete shutdown reveal our inner world of thinking.    This current generation seems to identify this extreme behavior as “Being a Karen”. Social media is flooded with videos of irrational responses to everyday discomforts.  In times of great growth, our minds and bodies are in a period of “work in progress” – a period of uncomfortable until we learn a new way.  The purpose of pain is to MOVE us: to act: the pressure within time will make us move.

Literally, no one signed up to be uncomfortable, however, we are settling in.  This year, 2020 everyone and everything is uncomfortable.  The worldwide pandemic has everyone in the same pigeon pose – a strong wielding power into a new environment that is not inviting.  The masses have been asked to change the way we live, eat, shop, dress, work, and carry out our everyday lives.  The routines we dreaded and lifestyles we kiddingly complained about Pre- COVID-19 are now scavenger hunts for toilet paper, news that rivals horror flicks, junkets of political banter, and global economic issues streaming to us minute to minute, plus daily health checks – ALL very unsettling. Even simple conversations are uneasy. An intense disruption with loss of life, business, and routine has occurred globally.  Media outlets offered small windows to chaotic reflections of how humanity is handling these mass influxes.  Rebellion, violence, depression, and anxiety are strong indicators that we are uncomfortable with the current state of the union and choices, amidst political and societal regulations. 

Prior to 2020, when stressors occurred, our colleagues would be quick to shoot off an email invite to happy hour, we would grab a coffee and chat with a friend, #retailtherapy at the mall or make a healthy choice of an hour at the gym.  Solutions that all worked well, right?  Self-soothing became the new challenge as we are confined to our homes and have limited interactions with loved ones. Settling into Spring, our creativity started to bloom, with car parades, home gyms, and Zoom meetings.  Sourdough Bread anyone? We found baking again, homeschooling, purged, and overcleaned the homes we now are sitting in day after day.  Ongoing novel thinking to find unique ways for indulgences and stress reducers each day continued all year long.  We love the reliefs of a comfortable home from our favorite foods, soft cozy causal sweatpants by the fireside with a cup of hot cocoa. The love of a certain person, the solace of a good book, a snuggle of our beloved pet, these comforts bring a calming equilibrium sought out each day. The holiday twinkling lights smells of roasting chestnuts and warmhearted moments that ease us from the harshness of the dormant season are truly self-soothing. As the weather turns colder here in the Northeast,  we usher in a whole season of comfort and joy.

From head to toe, preventative healthcare is another topic that is a source of uneasiness.  Only in instants of urgency and emergency, will some of the public venture out.  During the past 10 months, less preventative care than ever has been pursued --this intersects at a time when the nation’s health system is being pressed to the max!  Healthcare is top of mind for all in 2020. It is a topic that makes most of us uncomfortable, especially as we move from reactive to proactive care.    End of Year / New Year rituals include annual checkups for most individuals. December is my annual teeth cleaning.  I am not a fan of the dentist; however dental care is best served before a calamity.  Dentist visits invoke awkward vulnerable positions, the distress of diagnosis, drill noises, and of course, the bill! I completed the dental appointments even though dental pain is one of my worst fears.  My 2020 confession is: I have delayed the scheduling of my colonoscopy.  Prep is a discomfort, and the procedure is necessary due to family history.  Stress and agitation from it are like a punch in the mouth or gut!   We do often wait until the check engine light comes on before we move! Preventive cancer screenings are down for all types of cancer, which is concerning.  The highest success of recovery/remission is those diagnosed in the earliest stages.  It is on my  “To Do” list for after the New Year. While it is not on my comfort list however now scheduled. I  will be comforted by the health screening results of a clean bill of health. It is logical that we maintain our bodies it will make us stronger. 

As yoga class ended, I had a new perspective – BE UNCOMFORTABLE. This revised mind-body perspective, affords us strength within a new environment, flexibility to adapt, and drives us to change.  Sometimes, it is the most challenging uncomfortable positions in life that are the ones we need the most to propel us forward for the next adventures. . Many people delay acting because they hope to avoid pain/discomfort.  There are NO tradeoffs. transformation comes about because we are uncomfortable,  and eventually, it will launch you to change.  Deep inside of you, there is a strength you reveal from these moments of discomfort. Remember, be uncomfortable. Nothing is permanent.