{"id":782,"date":"2016-02-17T21:24:19","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T19:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rewildingdrum.com\/eng\/?p=782"},"modified":"2016-02-17T21:25:14","modified_gmt":"2016-02-17T19:25:14","slug":"are-you-a-comfort-junkie-dare-to-explore-your-discomfort-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rewildingdrum.com\/eng\/are-you-a-comfort-junkie-dare-to-explore-your-discomfort-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You a Comfort Junkie? Dare to Explore Your Discomfort Zone"},"content":{"rendered":"

When was the last time you got soaking wet and shivering, and had to drink something hot to get your body temperature to a normal level again?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When was the last time you were praying for some shelter from the burning sun? (No, I don\u2019t mean your last summer holiday when you had to walk from the pool to the bar to get yourself a Cuba Libre \ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/strong>)\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When was the last time you slept on the ground\/floor, or had to walk for more than two hours without anything to eat or drink?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s Western society, most of us are constantly bathing in a 24\/7 comfort zone. Challenge yourself every once in a while! Your body and brains will be thankful.<\/p>\n

Within days, I will be challenging myself at the starting point of our Kungsleden Dogsled Expedition 2016.In the midst of the Swedish Arctic winter, Raphael, the 10 dogs, and I will travel 450 kilometers on the famous Kungsleden<\/strong> between Hermavan and Abisko.\u00a0We will be on the Kungsleden trail for around 18 days, plus or minus a few. Blizzards might hold us up for several days. We will encounter bitter cold and winds; our food will be far from high cuisine; personal space will be limited at all times; and comfort will be something of which we\u2019ll be constantly dreaming.<\/p>\n

People tend to think that a dogsled adventure is easy-going.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s just sitting in a sled, enjoying the landscape while the dogs do all the work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The truth is the total opposite! Of course, the dogs do a tremendous amount of work, but so does the musher \u2013 pulling, tearing, tipping the sled, running beside the dogs, and flattening the snow with snowshoes to make it easier for the dogs to run along with the sled. All this and much more makes dogsledding a very intense activity. Of course, the length of the expedition and the diverse weather conditions can add to the workout as well.<\/p>\n

People always ask me why.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy do you go to these hostile places, leaving all kinds of comfort behind?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

First of all, I don\u2019t see these places as \u201chostile.\u201d They are nature in its purest state<\/strong>. You learn to deal with the circumstances. Getting out of your comfort zone is something you should do more! Training your body and mind to feel comfortable with less is a great way of rewilding. You learn to appreciate the small things<\/strong>. At the end of the day, shelter, food, water, and friendship are what (the good) life should be all about. And that, to me, is comfort!<\/p>\n

I encourage you to get out of you comfort zone every now and then, and experience the power of the elements<\/strong> and the discomfort of certain situations. It humbles you and helps you put things in perspective.<\/p>\n

There is nothing wrong with cocooning, with enjoying the feeling of warmth and joy. But in our modern society, we are comfort junkies<\/strong>. We \u201cneed\u201d comfort all the time, and we need more and more of it every day. Luxury become average.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Part of your rewilding process is learning to step out of your comfort zone. A comfort zone is a\u00a0situation\u00a0or\u00a0position\u00a0in\u00a0which\u00a0a\u00a0person\u00a0feels\u00a0secure,\u00a0comfortable,\u00a0or\u00a0in\u00a0control. Get out of that zone, and dare to explore other unknown zones<\/strong>! But hey, I didn\u2019t suggest doing stupid macho things. It\u2019s something you do gradually, controlled, and with common sense.<\/p>\n

As you know by now, our rewilding strategy has 4 themes<\/strong>: diet, movement, disconnecting, & reconnecting, and bushcraft & survival.<\/p>\n

Once you get the initial parts of the rewilding lifestyle under control, dare to mix it up all again, and be willing to go exploring:<\/p>\n