Why you should get out of your Comfort Zone and Make Things Happen?

“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both.”

Brene Brown

Do you often find yourself hitting the snooze button a lot of times before actually waking up? Have you ever seen your friend being stuck in the same job for years even if they are not happy with what they are doing? All these things take place when we operate from our comfort zone, a safe and familiar space created by us for ourselves.

A comfort zone is a state where we feel a sense of familiarity, where people are at ease and in control of their environment, experiencing low levels of anxiety and stress, and when they operate in an anxiety-neutral state. Being in your comfort zone can look like following a routine and action pattern. You might feel at ease and have control over what happens in your life. Being in your comfort zone can make you feel on top of your game and confident, as you keep doing things you know you can be successful at those things without taking any major risks.

Related; 10 Ways to Build Self-Confidence

There can be a few benefits of being in your comfort zone but potential growth occurs when you challenge yourself occasionally and push yourself a little bit now and then to do something out of your comfort zone. Change is unavoidable to all, by making efforts and stepping out of our comfort zone we can adapt well to whatever changes life throws at us, making us resilient and open to new opportunities.

Related: Psychology Behind Growth Mindset

Why do People Hesitate to go out of their Comfort Zone?

According to research, 65% of employees admit to procrastinating during the workday, and 46% of employees tally 2 hours or less of actual productivity daily.  It is fair to say that laziness and procrastination are rapidly increasing in today’s world. But not all people are lazy and no person is lazy every time. Apart from laziness, there are many important points to consider when we look at why we prefer staying in our comfort zone.

Related: Leaving the Couch: 9 Practical Ways to Stop Being Lazy

Evolutionarily, human beings are predisposed to find safety. This instinct of safety was necessary for survival in the early days. But those traits have been carried out till today. We as humans have a natural inclination towards familiarity hence we tend to stay in our comfort zone. It wouldn’t be right to say that laziness is the only cause that stops people from trying something new. An increase in mental health conditions like chronic stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, attention deficit disorders, etc hamper an individual’s confidence and daily functioning resulting in achieving less than expected.

Related; What goes on in our Minds when we Solve Problems?

More than this, the current situation of our world and the increasing amount of convenience through advancement in technology is reducing problem-solving skills and our brains’ ability to tackle new challenges. Though staying in a comfort zone can temporarily feel safe it can hamper your growth in all aspects of life in the long run. Let us look at how stepping out of your comfort zone can be beneficial:

1. Makes you a stronger and more resilient person: 

Going out of your comfort zone can be scary and this feeling is completely natural but losing out on opportunities due to the same fear can have a negative effect. Accepting that fear and taking small steps to face it can make the risk seem less scary and help you grow. It also makes you able to take calculated risks whenever necessary. Moving past your fear will make you feel proud of yourself. Even if you fail you will be resilient and bounce back from difficulties.

2. Expand your Network:

Going out of your comfort zone can present you with many great connections. For eg: Networking and going out to meet new people can be valuable. These interactions can lead to impactful connections, such as potential mentors, collaborators, or clients. Building a diverse network increases the likelihood of stumbling upon new opportunities. Apart from growth in career opportunities connecting to new people, talking to strangers can also positively improve your personal life as it can lead to new friendships, relationships, and communities.

Related: How Networking Cultivates Support and Opportunity

3. Discovering new Talents and Hobbies: 

Many times we keep doing this that we are familiar with because we feel safe. You might hesitate to try new activities or explore new paths because they don’t seem familiar and we are afraid that we might fail or not be good at those activities. It is perfectly fine if we are not good at every new thing we try. But trying out different things can help you tap hidden talents and discover hobbies that you love. This also makes your brain more creative and helps you develop new skill sets.

4. Emotional Regulation:

Going out of your comfort can make you anxious or stressed. Facing these stressors and working on what triggers you can make you face difficulties smoothly. It will help you to manage your stress levels and develop healthy methods to deal with stress. You become more resilient and give up less frequently once you know how to grow through changes and step out of your comfort.

5. Makes you Confident:

As we saw earlier moving out of your comfort zone can make you resilient. This also leads to positive self-beliefs and enhanced confidence. When you stay too long in your comfort zone it can make you more anxious if you face any change and difficulties in your life. By overcoming your fear your beliefs will be positive and you will trust yourself more to do things that scare you. Leaving your comfort zone and taking steps to achieve your goals will have positive effects on your self-efficacy.

How to Get out of your Comfort zone?

Now that we have seen various benefits let us look at how to get out of your comfort zone. It can be hard and challenging to step out of our comfort and push our limits to try something new, but knowing these can make the process easier.

1. Recognise: Try to understand in which areas of your life you feel comfortable but there is no growth. Identify the areas where your growth is stagnant.

2. Choose one thing at a time: Set specific goals. For eg: You are doing a satisfactory job in your career but you feel that you hesitate to take new initiatives or lack leadership skills. You can start by learning new skills like expressing your views to improve initiate projects and lead them.

3. Take small steps toward achieving your goal: Keep an objective of trying out things that you fear. For eg: If you get nervous in social settings and want to try public speaking, you can try talking in front of the people you know initially and then learn the skills that will help you give a speech. 

4. Choose your circle wisely: It is important to be careful about who you hang out or spend time with. Try being around people who set a good example for you and inspire you. Learn from them. Being around the right people who motivate you to get out of your comfort zone can help you grow rapidly.
5. Be patient:  Accept if you experience failure be okay with feeling discomfort and adapt to grow out of it. Be compassionate towards yourself and refrain from dwelling on negative beliefs. You can always get help from someone else or a trained professional who can guide you.

In short, stepping out of our comfort zone is key to personal growth. It might be scary, but it leads to resilience, new connections, discovering talents, and boosting confidence. Set goals, take small steps, surround yourself with supportive people, and be patient with yourself. Embrace discomfort and change to unlock your full potential.

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