[jahsome]

I experience similar and I think of discomfort tolerance like a muscle. The more I (am forced to) use it, the less strain I experience when using it.

I am naturally prone to optimizing friction away--autistic engineer--but have come to realize regularly putting myself in uncomfortable positions professionally and personally works for me as a form of exposure therapy.

Nowadays, in the event I'm thrust into such an unfamiliar situation against my will, I'm still functional.

An enormously valuable knock on effect was coming to the realization the things I enjoy most in life are those which have been a surprise, and I would have simply avoided weren't I being intentional in pushing my own boundaries.