We grow through taking chances and leaving our comfort zone. However, as human beings, we fear and feel uncomfortable with taking the first step.
Comfort zones are basically about fear. Hence, we must step out of our fear zone. Once we do, we will learn to appreciate taking risks, realize what we could be achieving, and grow.
What Does Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone Mean?
Humans need psychological and bodily comfort. This encompasses activities, settings, and relationships.
Our comfort zone has no surprises or challenges, just the same old routine. We are pleased with what we have, even when we desire more.
Imagine you step forward beyond the circle to add more and experience more. As we add more, the circle expands.
We may have felt that the circle was too tiny to hold anything extra because we had all the basics.
We’ve become used to this lifestyle. However, we soon realize that the more we bring, the more it grows, which makes us understand the circle’s potential to expand as it accommodates more.
This applies to us. When you leave your comfort zone and get busy, your capacity expands, and you accomplish things you never believed you could.
Why Is Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone Important?
Once we’ve learned and adopted the best way to do something, our brain’s learning centers shut down. This puts us in “autopilot mode,” so we don’t have to work as hard.
This state of mind hinders personal growth and development. We grow by exposing ourselves to different locations, people, and experiences. We get new information, possibilities, and experiences.
We Become Stronger
After leaving our comfort zone, we will realize it wasn’t that bad. Change makes people uneasy. Fear warns us about the road ahead, making us make up the worst-case scenario possible, hindering us from advancing.
Hence, it’s important to realize that fear and stay positive.
When we fall, we will grow. We’ll be proud of ourselves as we progress. Our journey to personal development begins here. We always got to start with something.
We Gain Self-Confidence
Leaving your comfort zone and achieving your objectives boosts confidence and a growth mindset.
As we test ourselves in the growth zone, we’ll realize that learning new skills can boost our confidence. Positivity and self-confidence are also linked to decreased stress and anxiety.
We’ll Meet New People And Opportunities
Stepping outside our comfort zone exposes us to new challenges, experiences, and people. If we can do this, we’ll have unimaginable growth opportunities.
Neale Donald Walsch is credited for saying, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Perhaps it’s time to live the life we desire.
Why Is It So Hard To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone?
Fear can prevent you from leaving your comfort zone. “Fight or flight” keeps us safe when we’re afraid. All animals are born with this instinctive dread. As considering creatures, humans also dread their own cognitive processes. It’s dread of the unknown; we imagine the worst-case scenarios.
Leaving our comfort zone causes anxiety due to uncertainty. When we make dinner often, it’s easy since we know what to expect. First-time driving, skydiving, and beginning a new career include uncertainty and anxiety.
We also tend to dislike new things, even if we grow to enjoy them. Brené Brown thinks societal, political, or economic uncertainty reduces our comfort zones. Fear makes our comfort zone narrower and harder to escape.
Familiarity is comfortable and delightful, so it’s no wonder that we fear the unknown. We regard familiar things as safer; therefore, we’re attracted to them. The brain believes, “We’ve done this before and survived. So it’s safe to try again.”
Trying new things takes energy, so we rely on old habits when we’re tired or flat.
7 Ways To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
1. Change Our Mindset
We need to have a goal that inspires us and makes us hurl our chairs out the window and dance with excitement. Not really, but you get the idea. Seeing our side project blossom is amazing. It’s energetic. Taking a year off to live abroad is an exciting goal.
Second, encourage a growth mentality.
We may have a fixed mindset, believing our qualities are permanent and unchangeable. Ignore it. We must believe we can change and progress with effort with a growth mentality.
2. Change Our Routine
If you regularly eat lunch at the same time or location, have the same evening routine, or travel the same route to work, change it up.
Small changes to our daily routine can help us interact more with our environment and boost our confidence to push ourselves in other areas.
3. Identify How Stepping Out Will Benefit Us
How will our personal and professional growth benefit from engaging in public speaking? Keep in mind the possible benefits as incentives to overcome our fears.
4. Get Comfortable with Discomfort
Expansion can help you leave your comfort zone.
Let’s stick to socializing. If we feel terrified while chatting to a new person, try to remain longer before seeking comfort. If you practice enough, it will get less unpleasant.
5. Write Down Goals
What’s our life’s direction? We must remind ourselves daily why we want to achieve our goals.
Without a plan, we can’t learn from past mistakes. It’s anxiety-inducing. However, if we persist long enough, we’ll reach the learning zone and obtain new problem-solving skills.
Attending a networking event may be scary if your objective is to develop your professional network. Instead, start networking comfortably.
6. Be Honest With Ourselves
Don’t say, “I’m too busy,” just be honest and say, “I’m scared.”
Be honest while facing a new challenge. We’ll be better able to face our problems and increase the chance of moving forward.
7. Introduce Ourselves To Someone New
Meeting new people can expand our knowledge and opinions.
Fear of judgment prevents us from meeting new people. This is our inner critic, and we judge ourselves much more than anybody else. Let’s ignore these thoughts and make new friends in our workplace or online.
Final Thoughts
Stepping outside your comfort zone can be terrifying. But, we can take baby steps to leave our comfort zone. As we gently leave our comfort zone, We’ll feel safer in the new environment.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu.
