Feeling uncomfortable when I worked out used to make me want to quit.

Like running for the hills quit. Like I would get 10 seconds out from being done with the interval and just be like whatever, fuck it, interval done.

Because that burning feeling in my chest, that feeling like my lungs were going to explode and that my muscles were going to rip SUCKED.

Like I would rather be doing anything else, including my taxes as opposed to having that feeling. I can totally understand why, because of that feeling, people either quit working out all together or don’t push themselves during a workout. The immediate feeling of pain isn’t worth the long term goal you’ve set for yourself.

And this my friends is a mental block. Not a strength issue. Go figure huh? Because your body is strong AF and your muscles have a tremendous capacity to push through pain. You know what doesn’t though? Your brain. That little negative voice in your head that totally encourages you to quit while you’re ahead. The one that’s like nah girl you don’t have to do all the reps, you’ve done enough. 

But damn the transformation that waits on the other side if you can get through that mental block. If you can remind yourself of the goals you’ve set during those moments you want to quit. If you can repeatedly tell yourself you can do it (that’s my go to) when 15 seconds all of a sudden feels like 20 hours. 

Change the narrative. Focus on the goals you’ve set, tell yourself one positive thing on repeat and keep doing those things during those moments you want to quit. Shoot, focus on breathing as a distraction. Whatever works and it’s different for everyone but what matters is that you find what works for you.

Then after awhile, after you establish that habit, what you’re going to find is that when the work sucks, which it will, the faster you can bring mind back to a state of calm, the easier it will be to push through.

Because all you’re really doing is finding a state of serenity under conditions of duress.