When you intentionally expose yourself to the right pain, you train yourself to become more resilient to stress and adversity. A little pain goes a long way, too, as long as it’s:
Acute.
Tied to an obvious upside.
Has long-term benefits.
Let’s discuss each.
Acute vs. Chronic
Pick your pain - do you want a short burst of healthy or prolonged, unhealthy pain? You have to choose one. The more I expose myself to cold water (acute, intense bursts of pain), the better I feel after. I am no longer as tense - and constant tension leads to chronic pain.
Cold water therapy is excellent because it’s healthy: as long as you don’t go too cold or stay in too long, there is no real risk. Cutting yourself is acute pain, too - but it’s unhealthy. Seek healthy pain if you can. Saunas, sprinting, and weightlifting are excellent examples of such pain.
An Obvious Upside
You get high after a cold plunge. You suffer for a few minutes to feel great for a few hours. It increases both your drive and content. It is the most economic activity - in terms of time and effort - I’ve found to improve my well-being.
If you exercise and it doesn’t feel good, you have a problem. We all respond to different stresses differently, so it’s key to trial and error your way from what feels bad for a little bit to feeling good for a long while.
Embrace the pain that leads to contentment.
Long Term Benefits
I can’t run marathons because my body will break down, but I could do hot yoga every day for the rest of my life and see continual improvement.
Some people get thrills from extreme sports, but the adrenaline dump can get addicting, and addiction always leads to long-term pain - never to long-term benefits. Find the pain that makes you more whole and that you can’t abuse.
We’re made to suffer - it’s the human condition. By proactively taking pain into our own hands on our terms, the universe doesn’t have to mete it out as much.
A secret to happiness is pain. But only the right kind.