The word comfort can bring about mental images of wearing cozy slippers and a soft plush robe while sitting by a fire and drinking hot cocoa. But when we look at “comfort” on a bigger scaleon the “life” scale- it can often bring about a much less desirable image.
Your comfort zone is the place you feel most comfortable; the place you feel at ease and with no stress, or where you do not have to do anything new, difficult, or uncomfortable.
So, wouldn’t that be a good place to be? The answer may surprise you.
Spending too much time in your comfort zone can have a dramatically negative impact on your life as a whole.
Sure, spending some time in your comfort zone is not dangerous, and can actually have benefits. For starters, we tend to feel more confident and surer of ourselves when we are within our comfort zone. You may be more likely to participate in certain activities that you are familiar with, and you will likely have a higher performance level at certain tasks since you’ve done them repeatedly before. While in your comfort zone, you can also experience lower anxiety levels and less selfdoubt. Lastly, you can feel stable, secure, and unchallenged when you are inside your comfort zone.
However, when we stay in our comfort zone all the time, that is when the damage can happen.
When you stay in your comfort zone, your life can end up looking a lot different than what you would like it to look. You may be working at a job that doesn’t feel fulfilling, living a lifestyle that you know is not as healthy as it could be, or avoiding making a huge change that you know would improve your life. If you feel unmotivated, bored and even “lifeless” with your current job or lifestyle, that is a very good sign that your body and your mind are craving something different, so be willing to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
Outside your comfort zone is where you find your purpose, it’s where you set new goals and can be excited to learn new things.You will feel more alive, more challenged (in a good way), and even feel exhilarated, knowing that you are able to achieve the goals that you set out to achieve. But you must be willing to leave that comfort zone before any of that can happen.
A lot of the time, we equate the discomfort of growth or change with a desire to stay where we are. But understanding and accepting that any change worth making will likely bring with it some discomfort (at least at the beginning) is the key to improving your life. As you are leaving what’s been comfortable, you may feel a lack of confidence or the tendency to want to find a “reason”to go back into your comfort zone. This is also a time where you may be really affected by opinions of others since you may feel more vulnerable. Knowing that these things are a normal part of stepping out of your comfort zone and having the courage to push through the discomfort can show you the real strength and determination that you possess. A lot of us believe that we don’t have that inner strength because we’ve been within our comfort zone for too long and have not had to use that strength. This is one huge reason why stepping out of your comfort zone can have such a positive impact on your life.
What your comfort zone may look like: Working a job you feel you have outgrown just because you have been there so long that you know it inside and out.
Doing the same type of exercise every day and never trying new things.
Spending all your free time at home because being around others is uncomfortable.
Staying in a relationship that you know isn’t right because you’ve been with them for a long time.
Giving every bit of you for everyone around you and never pausing to give back to yourself.
Some ways to get out of your comfort zone: Challenging your existing beliefs Trying a different type of workout (you may even find something you enjoy more!)
Embracing the discomfort of change and growth Trying new things, including things that you’ve been wanting to do but have been too afraid to try.
Exploring the idea of finding a new job or career path that both challenges you and brings you joy.
Having the courage to prioritize yourself and engage in regular self-care If you can find the courage to move out of your comfort zone a bit more, you will see that it’s really not all that scary… and you may even walk right into your best life ever!
