Why Seeking Discomfort Works: Unlocking the Power of Your Subconscious Mind for Personal Growth and Success in Horses and Showing

In a recent newsletter, we talked about the importance of seeking discomfort. (In case you missed it, click HERE to catch up!)

In today’s newsletter, learn why seeking discomfort is important for personal growth and success in horses and showing. Discover how the subconscious mind works and why it influences our behavior, and how seeking discomfort can help us overcome our fears and limitations. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and reap the rewards of resilience, new skills, and personal fulfillment. Read on to unlock the power of your subconscious mind and achieve your goals in the equestrian world.

Today we’re diving into the WHY underlying how seeking discomfort works. Understanding this can really unlock additional levels for your mental game. You may find yourself changing your behaviors and patterns once you know this.

You may not know a ton about your brain, but I know you’ve had that experience of driving along, and your brain takes over on autopilot and before you know it you’re at work, or at the barn, or at Starbucks… without a clear recollection of the drive there. That’s the kind of autopilot I’m talking about when I say our brains have conscious and subconscious programming. And it’s the subconscious programming that’s running the show most of the time.

This matters in the context of seeking discomfort because when you seek something out your subconscious brain thinks it’s safe even if it’s bad for you! The most obvious example is something like smoking where you know it’s bad for you, you know it destroys your body; yet smokers talk about how relaxing smoking is, and how it feels safe and reassuring.

The flip side of this phenomenon is that when you avoid something, your subconscious mind thinks it must be dangerous or bad for you even when it’s good for you! So when you put off exercising, or reading, or calling your Mom, your brain thinks, well, we must be avoiding pumping that iron so we don’t die! (Yes your brain is super dramatic). It doesn’t have to know what the danger is, exactly, to know that you had better avoid that terrible behavior!!

So how does this tie back to horses and showing?

Seeking discomfort refers to the intentional act of challenging yourself by stepping outside of your comfort zone. This may involve trying new things, taking risks, or exposing yourself to situations that may be uncomfortable or even frightening. (Remember a situation can be frightening but not dangerous).

When you leave your comfort zone, fear will come up. Not to be obvious, but when you are doing something new and different, it’s totally normal to go, “Whoa! This feels hard!” and it’s up to you to normalize that new experience. Most people spend more time avoiding things than actively pursuing them.

So go enter the dang horse show! Get in the ring! Practice showing yourself you can ride a pattern and not die. Trailer and ride somewhere else. Ride when others are in the arena, too, and prove to yourself having an audience doesn’t stop you. Train yourself that when you think you can’t, you must! Imagine the resilience, the new skills, the sense of pride and personal fulfillment that you’ll feel by proving to yourself what a badass you are!

Email us and tell us one way you’re going to face something hard this coming week!

Until next time,

Happy Trails,

Nicole