The power of stepping outside your comfort zone
How often do you step outside your comfort zone? I did something this week that put me WAY outside mine. But it was worth it – it has made me fear similar activities a little less and I definitely felt a sense of achievement once I had done it.
So, what is our comfort zone, why is it so difficult to move out of it, and most importantly, what are the benefits if we do?
Our comfort zone is characterised by a feeling of calm, security and stability. This often takes the form of routines or regular activities – a bit like operating on your life’s auto pilot. And it is designed by us to minimise experiencing feelings such as stress and anxiety.
In fact, it’s not really about comfort at all, it’s about fear. Specifically, the fear of the unfamiliar and not being able to predict what might happen when we take the first step into the unknown.
During the pandemic my life, like many others, became smaller, more self-contained and easier to control. But this way of living cannot continue into perpetuity – if we want to change, grow or progress we need to switch off the auto pilot, take the steering wheel and step out of the comfort zone. Read on to find out how.
Identify what it is you would like to achieve
The problem with staying in your comfort zone and not budging, is that you miss out on life experiences. Can you name something you’d like to do, but just haven’t been able to? It doesn’t have to be huge, just something that will give you a sense of ‘I did that!’ once you have done it.
Work out what it is specifically about this activity that is uncomfortable for you
I like to think of the comfort zone as a cosy house, and this house’s front door is a gateway to new experiences. I don’t want you to open the door just yet, but to visualise the other side of it and reflect on exactly what it is about that activity or experience that makes you fearful of it.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
The goal here is to get over the initial fear of the unknown. If we travel back to the cosy house, the next step is to open the door and cross that threshold. Now, different people, will approach this in very different ways. The bravest of us will take a deep breath and fling the door open and step through it with purpose, eyes bright with possibility; others might step onto the front porch but spend time here surveying the scene before taking the next step. And some might be more cautious, opening the door just enough to peer out to see what’s what and take much longer to step outside. Every single one of these approaches represents progress, and each of those individuals has pushed themselves outside of what is comfortable to them and taken the first step.
Go at your own pace
As we’ve just explored in the metaphor above, everyone’s progress is personal. If the goal you are aiming for feels overwhelming, break it down into many small steps – no one is judging you for how long it takes to cross that threshold; these small steps will soon build up to something much bigger.
Keep going
The brilliant thing, is that even the smallest step has expanded the parameters of your comfort zone, making it so much easier to continue to do it again and again and challenge yourself more and more. By pushing your boundaries an increment at a time, who knows where it could lead. You’ve totally got this!