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Abstract

I don’t talk to strangers in public, and I avoid phoning people.</p><p id="b5dd">Comfort is the new opiate of the masses. As humans, we strive in everything we do to avoid discomfort, even to the detriment of ourselves</p><h1 id="3833">The truth behind the discomfort</h1><p id="1c67">When we experience discomfort, it normally means we’re growing. We had growing pains as children, and I think children seem to be more aware of the need to be uncomfortable to grow.</p><figure id="f5cc"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*OhsKwVDN_-15jP4S"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@scw1217?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Suzanne D. Williams</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="2327">One of my neighbours is a thirteen-year-old girl and last winter during the snow, she refused to wrap up warm. I was shivering outside for barely a minute when I saw her sitting in the snow without a coat, making an amazing snow-cat. She claimed that she was making her body adapt to the cold.</p><p id="1c4a">I went back into my nice warm house, sat by my nice warm fire, and didn’t think of it again until this morning.</p><p id="cb2f">I remember as a child spending hours practicing kicking a football with my weaker foot; running around town in winter without even a jumper; running into and out of the British sea (it’s cold) at the beach without noticing the cold.</p><p id="43f8">When do we become such slaves to comfort? I was at the coast last week and had to really psych myself up to put my feet in the water.</p><p id="84bc">The real truth behind discomfort is that it’s actually not that bad. My shower this morning was fine. It was a little cold to start with, but after a minute or two (when I had intended to alternate back to warm water) it felt fine. Doing exercise is actually great, and I love my evenings so much more when I’m not sitting in front of the TV.</p><p id="f6fd">I still want to eat the tiramisu though…</p><h1 id="9cbc">What to do a

Options

bout it?</h1><p id="d9bd">I’m as addicted to comfort as the next person, so I’ve no right to tell you what to do, but here are some ideas which you might feel like joining me in:</p><ul><li>Take a cold shower every morning</li><li>Go for a walk every morning and listen to something encouraging (I’m listening to a Christian devotional app called Lectio365)</li><li>Volunteer for a good cause that means something to you</li><li>Take regular breaks at work, rest your eyes and do some exercise</li><li>Clean up rubbish (garbage) from around your neighbourhood</li><li>Make a commitment to do something other than TV in the evenings. Read a book, do some DIY, visit a friend, write a blog post, go for a run</li><li>Talk to that homeless person, treat them like a human and get them some food</li><li>Don’t eat that entire tiramisu (give it to me instead)</li></ul><p id="c908">The theory is that the more we say no to our “comfort impulses” the less hold they have over us. The easier it will be for us to do the things that truly benefit us and the people around us.</p><p id="06b6">I’ve written a follow up to this article:</p><div id="d4b7" class="link-block"> <a href="https://richard-t-bell90.medium.com/two-weeks-of-cold-showers-and-a-tiramisu-later-f9be39eb80e0"> <div> <div> <h2>Two weeks of cold showers and a tiramisu later</h2> <div><h3>undefined</h3></div> <div><p>undefined</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*L9D9P6lwk01V3MP2)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="d202"><i>If you’re thinking of joining medium, please consider using my referral link — <a href="https://richard-t-bell90.medium.com/membership">https://richard-t-bell90.medium.com/membership</a></i></p><figure id="2490"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*-epb79udnRLMsydIti0cIA.png"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></article></body>

The addiction that’s killing all of us

I do a lot of thinking in the shower. It’s where a lot of my ideas come from, whether that’s for writing articles, planning our finances or solving problems I’m currently working on. This morning was no exception, however something was different. This morning I took my first (intentional) cold shower.

I had actually decided last night that I was going to try cold showers for a month. I was having an exceptionally warm bath watching an informative YouTube video about the benefits of “cold therapy” (did YouTube know I was overheating?). Some benefits listed include being more alert, living longer, burning fat, reducing inflammation, and recovering from injury quicker.

For someone with a nine-month-old baby, and a nine-year injury in my Achilles tendon, these benefits sounded fantastic. So I decided to give it a go. I’ve known for a while that cold showers are good for you, but a nice warm shower in the morning is far more comfortable. So I was standing in the shower, thinking like I normally do. What else do I avoid because I’m just too comfortable?

Comfort is the reason I’d much rather polish off that family-sized tiramisu instead of having some fruit or skipping dessert altogether.

Comfort is the reason that my dumbells collected so much dust that they’re now heavier than when I bought them

Comfort is the reason I slouch in front of the TV instead of doing something productive with my evenings.

Comfort is the reason I don’t talk to strangers in public, and I avoid phoning people.

Comfort is the new opiate of the masses. As humans, we strive in everything we do to avoid discomfort, even to the detriment of ourselves

The truth behind the discomfort

When we experience discomfort, it normally means we’re growing. We had growing pains as children, and I think children seem to be more aware of the need to be uncomfortable to grow.

Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash

One of my neighbours is a thirteen-year-old girl and last winter during the snow, she refused to wrap up warm. I was shivering outside for barely a minute when I saw her sitting in the snow without a coat, making an amazing snow-cat. She claimed that she was making her body adapt to the cold.

I went back into my nice warm house, sat by my nice warm fire, and didn’t think of it again until this morning.

I remember as a child spending hours practicing kicking a football with my weaker foot; running around town in winter without even a jumper; running into and out of the British sea (it’s cold) at the beach without noticing the cold.

When do we become such slaves to comfort? I was at the coast last week and had to really psych myself up to put my feet in the water.

The real truth behind discomfort is that it’s actually not that bad. My shower this morning was fine. It was a little cold to start with, but after a minute or two (when I had intended to alternate back to warm water) it felt fine. Doing exercise is actually great, and I love my evenings so much more when I’m not sitting in front of the TV.

I still want to eat the tiramisu though…

What to do about it?

I’m as addicted to comfort as the next person, so I’ve no right to tell you what to do, but here are some ideas which you might feel like joining me in:

Take a cold shower every morning
Go for a walk every morning and listen to something encouraging (I’m listening to a Christian devotional app called Lectio365)
Volunteer for a good cause that means something to you
Take regular breaks at work, rest your eyes and do some exercise
Clean up rubbish (garbage) from around your neighbourhood
Make a commitment to do something other than TV in the evenings. Read a book, do some DIY, visit a friend, write a blog post, go for a run
Talk to that homeless person, treat them like a human and get them some food
Don’t eat that entire tiramisu (give it to me instead)

The theory is that the more we say no to our “comfort impulses” the less hold they have over us. The easier it will be for us to do the things that truly benefit us and the people around us.

I’ve written a follow up to this article:

Two weeks of cold showers and a tiramisu later

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If you’re thinking of joining medium, please consider using my referral link — https://richard-t-bell90.medium.com/membership