A way to stretch yourself today

😬 Today’s tip: Find small excuses to make yourself uncomfortable.

With the future so up in the air, one of the best things you can do for yourself is learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of not knowing something. And one way to do that, as the writer Kristin Wong explains, is to identify what psychologists call your “certainty-seeking behaviors” — micromanaging people, fishing for validation, checking your inbox every five minutes, or whatever small act you reach for in the moment when you want to feel more stable.

“These habits are usually benign, the behavioral equivalent of a security blanket — but addressing them is an easy, low-stakes way to practice being a little bit uncomfortable,” Wong writes. “For example, you could stop asking your spouse ‘Does this sound okay?’ before sending every text or email. Or you could try putting down your phone and avoid checking it for the entire day (or even a few hours).”

If it feels a little unnatural, that’s one way to know you’re on the right track.

📚 More from Forge on life in limbo:

Don’t Try to Fix Anything Right Now
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There’s a Price to Pay for Emotional Validation
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Use the ‘Circle of Concern’ to Reframe Your Fears
Read more >>

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