Why Avoiding Discomfort Keeps You Stuck and How to Get Unstuck | Episode 338

Fragmented to Whole: Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery

Fragmented to Whole: Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery
Why Avoiding Discomfort Keeps You Stuck and How to Get Unstuck | Episode 338
Feb 09, 2026
Barb Nangle

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In this week’s episode of the Fragmented to Whole Podcast, I’m unpacking a topic that sits at the core of emotional healing and change: discomfort. Not all discomfort is the same, and confusing them is one of the main reasons people stay stuck far longer than they need to. One form of discomfort is the kind that keeps us trapped, the other is the kind that helps us grow.

This episode is about learning how to tell the difference between chronic, soul-draining discomfort and the finite discomfort that leads to real healing, and how internal safety and support make all the difference.

Some of the talking points I go over in this episode include:

  • The difference between the endless discomfort of staying stuck and the temporary discomfort that comes with growth and change
  • Why experiential avoidance numbs not only pain, but also joy, meaning, and aliveness
  • How manageable discomfort creates learning, flow, and forward movement instead of shutdown
  • Why a “safe base,” internally and externally, is essential for sustainable growth
  • How boundaries, emotional regulation, and support systems create the safety needed to tolerate change

Discomfort isn’t the enemy. But unsupported, overwhelming discomfort keeps us frozen. When you choose the finite discomfort of growth and pair it with enough safety, healing becomes possible and sustainable.

Be sure to tune in to all the episodes for grounded insights, emotional tools, and practical guidance on living a more whole and connected life.

Thank you for listening. If this episode resonated, take a screenshot and share it in your stories, tag me, and let me know what stood out. And don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast.

Learn more about Fragmented to Whole at:
https://higherpowercc.com/podcast/

Feeling drained or stuck? Take my free Boundaries Drain Quiz to find out where your energy is leaking and how to reclaim it:
https://higherpowercc.com/drain/

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Episode Artwork Why Avoiding Discomfort Keeps You Stuck and How to Get Unstuck | Episode 338 14:54 Episode Artwork How Internal Safety Changes Your Emotional World | Episode 337 14:14 Episode Artwork Learn to Tolerate Ease: How Compassion Softened What Pressure Never Could | Episode 336 14:58 Episode Artwork The Art of Listening: How to Break Free from Chronic Conflict Loops | Episode 335 13:03 Episode Artwork How to Change Your Love Life by Becoming Emotionally Available | Episode 334 11:27 Episode Artwork How Boundaries Create Secure Attachment in Romantic Relationships | Episode 333 13:26 Episode Artwork Why Knowing Better Isn’t Enough and How to Train Your Nervous System Instead | Episode 332 14:07 Episode Artwork The Hidden Rules You Learned Growing Up and How to Rewrite Them | Episode 331 22:31 Episode Artwork Lost in Serenity with Guest Renee N. | Episode 330 42:19 Episode Artwork Healing Old Wounds: How Boundaries Helped Me Reconnect With Someone I Love | Episode 329 13:51 Episode Artwork How Manipulation Shows Up During the Holidays and How to Get Away from It | Episode 328 12:33 Episode Artwork Five Ways to Keep the Focus on You to Create Internal Safety | Episode 327 33:30 Episode Artwork Letting Go Without Falling Apart: Real Stories of Boundaries and Self-Care | Episode 326 12:14 Episode Artwork From Flattened to Free-How to Escape the Bulldozer Cycle | Episode 325 15:49 Episode Artwork Why Experience Matters More Than Credentials (And How to Own Yours) | Episode 324 9:58 Episode Artwork How the Victim Role Hijacks Workplace Meetings (and What to Do Instead) | Episode 323 11:44 Episode Artwork Back to School, Not Back to Chaos- 5 Scripts for Sanity This Fall | Episode 322 11:51 Episode Artwork Why Boundaries are the Rules of the Road for Life with 10 Examples | Episode 321 14:48 Episode Artwork The Planets Aligned with Guest Kelly Walker | Episode 320 41:09 Episode Artwork Why Mindset Matters More Than You Think: Boundaries, Recovery, and Belief | Episode 319 14:08 Episode Artwork How to Go From Permeable to Protected- Building an Emotional Force Field | Episode 318 11:27 Episode Artwork Why Controlling Everything Still Doesn't Make You Feel Better | Episode 317 10:40 Episode Artwork How to Backfill the Love You Didn't Get as a Child | Episode 316 15:10 Episode Artwork Keep the Focus on Yourself- The #1 Boundary Setting Rule | Episode 315 12:56 Episode Artwork How I'm Choosing Depth Over Hustle and What That Means for You | Episode 314 9:15