HOW TO GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
(and into your growth zone!)
Life is full of opportunities to step outside the comfort zone, but grabbing hold of them can sometimes feel a little difficult and full of risk. The phrase ‘comfort zone’ was coined by management thinker Judith Bardwick in her 1991 work Danger in the Comfort Zone:
“The comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviours to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.”
Everyone’s comfort zone is different and we all harbour different fears, but generally what holds us back is our frame of mind rather than lack of knowledge. The great news is that stepping out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to be taking on a huge new activity or spending a lot of time or money on something, you can do things differently every day to challenge and break away from those comfortable routines.
It’s no secret that stepping outside of our comfort zone leads to growth on so many levels. How can we shift our thinking and what practical steps can we take to step out of our comfort zone and into personal growth?
We share our top 7 ideas below. You’ve got this!
1. Take Small Steps
In everyday life, there are ample opportunities to challenge yourself. Turn off your smartphone and television while having dinner, decide what to wear more quickly, or just slow down to take in the surroundings on a walk. These changes break you out of old, comfortable routines and if we can do the baby steps maybe the bigger challenges will feel a little easier. Getting outside of your comfort zone doesn’t have to an extravagant bungy jump or sky dive (unless that’s your thing of course!) .
Here’s a few ideas that you can try very easily:
Say hello to the next person who walks past you
Give a stranger a compliment (this is one of my faves because it always feels good to get a compliment!)
Try a new type of exercise - usually a yoga bunny, why not give a strength class a go? We’ve recently launched a new Barre series on The Online Studio and it feels so good to do something different
Drive or walk a different route home from work
Dine in a new restaurant
Notice how these small baby steps become less scary and more doable every single day you practise them.
2. Expand your skillset
Growing your skillset can foster creativity and give your self confidence a real boost. Skills like public speaking and leadership can represent a new challenge for many people and by investing in them can build confidence, resilience, personal satisfaction, and open up more opportunities than ever before as you begin to realise you CAN.
Skillshare is great hub for various creative online courses from video editing to crochet.
3. Rationalise the fear
Start by identifying the fear that makes something uncomfortable, then go through a quick mental exercise to rationalise why you shouldn't proceed with this uncomfortable and fearful next step.
Ask yourself, "what's the worst that could happen?", then, "what's the best case scenario of what could happen?". Both of those questions should help you address any fear or discomfort, then channel energy toward the success of trying or exploring something new.
4. Rediscover your inner child
We all know that play is important for children. Kids need play to develop and we automatically add play time into their daily schedules, but as soon as we hit adulthood we seem to lose this sense of play and exploration. Do you remember being fearless as a child? Why not discover your inner child again and take on a roller coaster ride, try surfing, learning to handstand again or even a going down a water slide!
5. Practise honesty
Honesty can be a tremendous catalyst for personal growth. Whether being honest with yourself and feelings in a journal or telling someone close how you feel, honesty encourages people out of their comfort zone. Through honest communication, we can begin to understand ourselves better.
Keeping a journal is an effective tool to process thoughts, feelings and experiences. Journaling can help gain clarity on lessons learned, next actions or direction or goals - helping you too refocus where you need to and step into opportunities as they arise. Check out our journal prompts to help you get started.
6. Ask yourself why
Ask yourself why you want to do this.
Take the time to think about what it could be like to take that step out of your comfort zone. Bathe in that visual, idea or thought long enough to build solid momentum that propels you into inspired action. Write down the reasons for taking this step.
How do you want to feel?
7. Remember to breathe
Doing new (and challenging) things can still be daunting no matter how much preparation takes place. The best piece of advice is remember your breath and use it to help you take on your new challenges no matter how big or small. Taking a few slow deep breaths or following one of our calming breath work sessions will help to tap into your parasympathetic nervous system - allowing the nervous system a little time to slow down and rest will ultimately mean you can make better decisions, take on tasks with focus and clarity and reduce anxiety and stress levels.
Feeling a Little More Ready?!
Why not come and join us this May as we explore new postures, classes and recipes and check out what the Balance + Glo team do to get out of their comfort zone!!
Across our four pillars; Move, Nourish, Care, Nature we’ll be asking what’s holding you back from trying new things?
Be curious, observant and open - and see how you grow.
Be inspired to take that first step into a life of full of possibilities. We are here as your biggest cheerleaders - you CAN do it!