“I think I was trained to be uncomfortable unintentionally.”
Theresa’s words open the door to a conversation about how we cope with discomfort, avoid pain, and sometimes stay stuck without realizing we had a choice. This episode explores the inner shifts that happen when we stop avoiding and start choosing the kind of pain that leads to healing.
We talk about:
→ Why we often stay in discomfort instead of facing pain
→ The role of avoidance, self-worth, and survival in relationships
→ How choosing pain can be a gateway to healing and transformation
There are two powerful ways to keep going after this episode—one for your relationships, and one for your inner child.
Start with our free mini-course
If you’ve ever struggled with boundaries, felt misunderstood, or wished your relationships felt more grounded and honest, our 5 Foundations for Healthier Relationships mini-course is for you. It’s free, it’s gentle, and it’s packed with the skills we wish we learned earlier.
Follow our new YouTube series
Conversations We Needed With Our Parents Growing Up is live now on YouTube. These short, heartfelt episodes explore the questions we all carry—about love, safety, identity, and being truly seen.
✨ Subscribe, comment, or share with someone who’s doing the work too. We’re so grateful you’re here.
Episode Links & Resources
→ Exploration & Discovery Journal
Connect with My Inner Knowing!
NEW! Reconnecting with Your Inner Child Meditation – Listen on YouTube
Download the 5 Foundations for Healthier Relationships FREE Mini-Course
Take the Relationship Assessment
Join us in the 10 Essential Skills to Build Stronger and Healthier Relationships course
Watch the episode on YouTube
My Inner Knowing Full episode link
My Inner Knowing website
My Inner Knowing Facebook
My Inner Knowing Instagram
My Inner Knowing LinkedIn
Sign up for the My Inner Knowing newsletter and receive a free 30 minute meditation!
Episode Chapters
00:00 Feeling tired before recording
02:04 The mini course and relationship skills
03:01 “I’d rather be in pain than uncomfortable”
06:53 Emotional discomfort in relationships
11:09 Chronic pain vs. temporary pain
14:13 Avoidance through substances
23:37 The courage to choose pain
29:06 Speaking the truth without shame
36:00 Advocating for yourself in healthcare
40:35 Final reflections on discomfort and choice
Topics we explore in this episode include:
emotional discomfort, nervous system awareness, chronic avoidance, healing in relationships, pain vs. uncomfortableness, emotional regulation, substance use and suppression, relationship boundaries, self-worth, choosing change
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!