Long ago, our ancestors fought simply to survive another day. They scavenged for food and water, fed their families and sought safe shelter — carrying heavy loads, walking great distances and enduring difficult environments. These everyday challenges shaped our genetics, our bodies and our minds.
Today, we live in a world full of instant gratification, designed for convenience and comfort. That is precisely why it is more important than ever to do hard things.
“Our brains and our bodies are growing weaker from disuse,” says Dr. Janet Engle, pediatrician at Colorado Mountain Medical and concierge physician with Vail Health Concierge Medicine. “This goes against our biology and what is necessary to keep us strong both mentally and physically.”
Josiah Middaugh, Healthspan program director at Vail Health and exercise physiologist, shares his greatest fear is becoming too comfortable. He notes that there are countless forces pushing us toward ease and convenience. “The more we push ourselves out of our comfort zone, the easier it becomes,” he says. “Become comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Josiah Middaugh at Lake Molveno, Italy. Photo courtesy of XTERRA.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
The first step to challenging yourself is to step outside of your comfort zone.
“Doing hard things reconnects us with the types of stress our bodies were built to handle,” explains Chris Lindley, chief population health officer and executive director of Eagle Valley Behavioral Health at Vail Health. “Therefore, we must intentionally reintroduce challenges into our lives through physical activity, outdoor recreation and personal growth.”
And what better place to do that than right here in the Vail Valley?
What feels challenging to one person may not to another, and vice versa. Challenging yourself looks different for everyone. It might mean committing to strength training, learning a new skill or hobby, traveling to a new country, registering for a race, climbing a mountain, prioritizing your mental health, establishing a morning routine and so much more.
You may choose to do something that aligns with your passions, as this may provide motivation. But what is necessary is that your goal “is difficult and something you do not know if you can complete,” Engle emphasizes.
No matter your goal or where you are outside of your comfort zone, your body and mind respond to acute stressors, or “hormesis,” by building back stronger.
“When you make a conscious decision to override ‘I don’t feel like it’ and do the hard thing anyway, hormesis activates and strengthens the prefrontal cortex through neuroplasticity,” Middaugh says. “Simultaneously, it quiets the amygdala, your brain’s threat detector, making it less alarming and easier to decide to do the hard thing in the future.”
As you push through discomfort, you add to your life. You build stress tolerance and mental resilience, break free from limiting beliefs, combat cognitive decline and expand your sense of who you are and what you are capable of.
Failure as Fuel
“Failure is not the opposite of success; it is along the same path as success,” Middaugh says.
If you never fail, your goal likely isn’t far enough outside your comfort zone. Rather than succumbing to fear, view failure as a teacher. Not succeeding at first means your expectations did not match reality. “It shows us what needs to change, where we need to improve and how we can approach things differently next time,” Lindley says. “In fitness, leadership or life, progress does not happen in a straight line. There are always setbacks along the way.”
If you allow the fear of failure and perfection to dictate your choices, you will never test yourself and discover your highest potential.
Start This Summer + Fall
From East Vail to Gypsum, there are endless ways to challenge yourself surrounded by community support. Sign up for a Vail Recreation District race, participate in the Vail Valley Running Club or Vail Valley Mountain Bike Club, apply for the new career position, take the certification course, find a travel buddy or commit to a new hobby.
Choose challenge over comfort, be amazed at what you are capable of and exercise both your body and mind to add longevity and endurance into your life. You will then reap the benefits of doing something hard.
