Discomfort vs. Unsupportive Environment

Don't avoid uncomfortable situations, but avoid unsupportive environments that don't support your goals, aspirations, and desired lifestyle you want to live. In short, when your environment doesn't support the desired outcome you want to achieve and don’t reinforce the behaviors that would lead to a more productive life.

Learn to distinguish between the discomfort you feel around your environment and an unsupportive environment.

Let’s define them!

Discomfort is temporary and usually it is short-term. Discomfort is something solvable, you can influence it, change it or it passes itself over time depending on the situation.

But an unsupportive environment is something rooted, and constant that you can't influence or change.

Before I didn't know how to handle uncomfortable situations, I feared it would affect or ruin me. I would try to avoid or run away from discomfort situations especially when it was not aligned with my plans or with what I wanted. I would get frustrated rather than learn to deal with them. By avoiding the discomfort I thought this is how I am solving the problems. But over time I learned that discomfort situations are usually temporary things that you can choose how to react to, how to solve, and find a solution rather than running away and avoiding. If you don't solve it now, it might appear again.

Once, my old friend gave me some really good advice, he said: "Think about how much you can go down from your sustained level, be patient, go through discomfort, and be there for a while until you find the best solution”.

It was a kind of strategic decision that you have to cut your level of cost, go down, and go beyond your level of comfort while working on the best and desired outcome. Sometimes you have to go through the discomfort to meet your desired level of comfort.

Discomfort when you choose to deal with it, solve it not avoid it. Also, discomfort is usually something you are sure is temporary, you are aware of it, and you know that it can't affect you, your life goals, and your plans. But now let's go to the dangerous part.

Unsupportive environment. Your environment that you are surrounded with doesn't change usually and you can't change and influence them. It is somehow the norm of the socity, something cultural and traditional, something that has become the norm and constant, something that is ongoing.

An unsupportive environment is a persistent drain on your energy and motivation. It's characterized by negativity, lack of support, and limited growth opportunities. This type of environment can hinder your progress and even damage your mental well-being.

An unsupportive environment can be a silent saboteur of your aspirations. Surrounding yourself with negativity, lack of support, and limited opportunities can drain your energy and hinder your progress. My recent experience returning to my home country highlighted this.

The lack of infrastructure, a mindset of people, and limited resources created a significant barrier to achieving my goals. In other words, it doesn’t reinforce in me good habits and doesn’t support the desired outcome I would like to achieve and the lifestyle I want to have.

If you are surrounded by a toxic environment daily, constantly exposed to low vibrational things it literally sucks everything out of you and it can be contagious.

I strongly believe that your environment matters, but I don't quite agree with the statement that you can choose to ignore them. For me, that means allowing all these things to affect my overall well-being. I hear quite often from people saying that: “You are not grateful”, but my answer to this, I am just ambitious. It is so important for me to have the right environment that supports productivity, growth, and big dreams. I am grateful for small things, but I don't pretend and ignore other parts that influence my growth. Be ok with things that don't support my effectiveness, productivity, and growth, don't help me to achieve my goals but rather pull you down. Big NO. Ignoring them and acting like it doesn’t affect you. Big NO. These small factors can be an enormous influencer. I am not saying to complain about them but be aware of them, and be smart to walk away from a negative and unsupportive enviromoment to the environment that supports your goals, ambition, and desired lifestyle you want to have.

Conclusion

It's essential to differentiate between an uncomfortable and an unsupportive environment. Discomfort is often temporary and can be overcome, while an unsupportive environment is permanent and is a persistent barrier to growth and success.

Embracing Discomfort

Discomfort is a natural part of life and can be a catalyst for personal growth. By learning to manage discomfort, you can overcome challenges and achieve your goals. For instance, stepping outside your comfort zone to try new things can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Escaping Unsupportive Environments

An unsupportive environment can drain your energy and hinder your progress. It's crucial to recognize when your surroundings are no longer conducive to your well-being or aspirations. Surrounding yourself with positive influences and opportunities is essential for personal and professional growth.

Prioritizing Your Well-being

Ultimately, your environment significantly impacts your life. Choosing to stay in an unsupportive situation can have long-term consequences. By understanding the difference between discomfort and a toxic environment, you can make informed decisions to protect your mental and emotional well-being.

Creating a Supportive Ecosystem

It's essential to prioritize environments that nurture your growth. By surrounding yourself with supportive people and resources, you can overcome challenges and achieve your full potential.

I believe, your environment shapes you, so choose wisely.

Prepared by Ayrie Abdykerimova