The Comfort Zone

We all need reasons to step outside of our comfort zone and we all need to be able to take the plunge and move outside of our comfort zone.

At different times in our lives, we are all required to take risks; without them, there can be no real growth in life. This ability to take risks and step outside of our comfort zone can change our lives in many ways.

For many though, the mere thought of stepping out of their comfort zone brings about severe anxiety which leaves them rooted in the same place in life.

The truth is living in your comfort zone is nothing to do with being comfortable, and far more to do with avoiding the things that make you fearful.

Therefore, to come out of your comfort zone means to face the fears that have been holding you back.

What is a comfort zone?

A comfort zone is a state in our mind where everything is comfortable and familiar to us and where we feel at ease. It is a place where we experience low levels of stress and discomfort and where we are in control of the environment. It is a place where we can achieve a certain amount that we set our minds to.

Our comfort zone defines our everyday lives, from our emotions and behaviour, to what we think.

Having a comfort zone implies that we have a level of safety and security that enables us to live in a healthy well-adapted way and this is all good to know. We need to be able to live in a way that keeps us comfortable and feeling secure and that enables us to go about our daily lives working, eating, sleeping, and co-existing with one another.

Our comfort zone becomes a bad place to be when we let it stop us from developing ourselves, from stretching us, and from fulfilling our true potential.

Why should you step out of your comfort zone?

We all need to experience a little bit of stress at times, it is good to stretch ourselves and set challenges and these can only be achieved by stepping out of our comfort zone.

Everything that you crave and desire can often be found outside of your comfort zone and so if you stay there think of all the amazing things that you’re missing out on.

As humans, we are full of potential, but for many it lies dormant, waiting to be brought out. We can push ourselves and break down boundaries far more than we ever give ourselves credit, but most of the time we stay in our comfort zone because it is safe and easy, even if this means that we are living a life that is stale and unfulfilling to us and that leaves us buffering in our jobs, relationships or hobbies.

The question then is how do we break out of our comfort zones and really start to experience living?

How to step out of your comfort zone

• Challenge your belief system. How many times will you have told yourself that you can’t do something even before you have tried?

  Challenging the beliefs that you hold about yourself and replacing self-limiting beliefs is one of the easiest ways to step outside of your comfort zone.

  Instead of saying I can’t try saying I can and see how far you can go.

• Expand your skill set. Fear of not being able to do something will always hold us back so learning new skills can really push us out of our comfort zone and in a new direction,

• Face your fears. Fear will keep you stuck in your comfort zone and so you must face your fears head-on if you want to break free. Working with a coach can help with this as they can provide you with the tools and support that you will need to face your fears head-on.

17 Powerful Reasons to step out of your comfort zone.

1. Eliminate Fear of unknown situations

   Fear holds us back so much in life. Imagine all of the things that would be available to us in life if we could eliminate fear.

   This is where you need to start. Most of the fearful situations that we perceive are all based on our minds, totally unfounded by real evidence.

   We tell ourselves things that make us fearful when we have no empirical evidence for them.

   Eliminating fear from our lives is the best way to step outside of our comfort zone.

2. Have belief in yourself to overcome self-limiting beliefs

   Changing your mindset and losing self-limiting beliefs can help you to break out of your comfort zone. We hold on to so many self-limiting beliefs from our past that prevent us from developing in the future.

   Break away from these thoughts and see how far you can go. This could be an area where you will need to work with a life coach.

3. Be committed to personal growth and push yourself

   Stepping out of your comfort zone can mean that you can become the person that you really want to be. We all have images of who we think we are and who we would like to be. Abraham Maslow described in his theory of human motivation the concept of “What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization.”

   We all need to grow and reach our true potential and this can only be achieved by stepping out of our comfort zone and pushing ourselves further to achieve more.

4. Don’t settle for second best to achieve your dreams

We have many dreams and ambitions in life and they will only be realized by not settling for second best.

That new car that you want, the amazing holiday destination, your dream home, or a satisfying job will normally be found just outside of your comfort zone and to achieve these things that is where you need to be.

Great rewards come to those who push themselves to get them. Athletes will only get to the amazing states of physical fitness by truly pushing themselves, this is how you have to become to get all that you want.

5. To be open to new experiences for greater personal expansion

Life can become very dull and predictable when we do the same things all of the time. Trying new experiences can give you a real boost.

Think of all the new people that you could meet all of the new possibilities that could come your way and all of the activities that you could be trying out. Step outside of your comfort zone and see where life takes you.

6. To develop your personal creativity

Moving out of your comfort zone can open up many new hobbies and interests. How many times have you liked the idea of doing something creative but have held back because you had reservations about your abilities?

Start embracing all of your desires, if you fancy trying something then give it a go. You have nothing to lose and could find that you develop a lifelong passion that brings you great joy.

7. To massively boost your personal self-confidence

Most people will hold off from trying something new or from pushing themselves because of a lack of self-confidence. They tell themselves they can’t do something and never try.

Taking the plunge and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can be a massive boost to your self-confidence.

8. It is often the way you discover what you truly love in life

How do you know that you love something? Because you have experienced it. It’s that simple. Imagine all of the experiences out there that you could love but your fear is holding you back.

Try pushing yourself more it’s the best way to discover something that you genuinely love -  one of the best reasons to step outside of your comfort zone!

9. You will improve your value in the marketplace and potentially earn more

Your fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone could be holding you back financially. Pushing yourself to take more chances in the workplace could see your potential to earn a bigger salary and to get more recognition for what you do.

Often the people who get the most recognition and the best fiscal packages are willing to take chances and push themselves forward.

10. You will hugely improve your powers of resilience

Life is always going to throw up uncomfortable circumstances and there is no way to avoid this happening.

No matter how much you keep yourself wrapped in a safe bubble, the reality is going to get in.

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone will build upon resilience, meaning you will be far more able to cope with whatever life throws at you.

11. It can reveal many untapped inner strengths and skills

Think of all of the hidden inner strengths and untapped skills that you have inside you just waiting to get out. We all have talent that we are unaware of until we try to do something. Your fear of stepping out of your comfort zone could mean that you are missing out on so much. Take the plunge to discover all of your strengths.

12. It can help you manage all kinds of changes which may occur in your life

Change happens in life whether we want it to or not. Some changes will be for the best and some not so much. Knowing how to deal with change and get through it is a real skill. For those who can manage change, it can bring a fuller more rewarding life.

For those who struggle with change, it can lead to stress, anxiety and uncertainty. Pushing yourself and living outside of your comfort zone will help you to manage change, and even embrace it.

13. It allows you to discover many things about yourself

You will discover much more about yourself by pushing yourself. As humans, we never stop growing from life’s experiences. We can constantly learn more things about ourselves, our likes and dislikes, our capabilities and our emotions all by experiencing life. This will only happen if you push against your comfort zone. 

14. It helps you feel young and alive

Trying something new for the first time can be invigorating and can make you feel young and alive.

If you think back to when you were younger, you may discover that you were far more adventurous and willing to take chances.

Get some of your youth and vigour back by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

15. It can help you to reach peak performance in your life

Nobody needs to stop growing and developing in life. The more new experiences you have, the more that you grow and develop.

Pushing yourself can help you to perform better and get more out of life.

16. It helps you to be more flexible and less rigid in your approach

When you are willing to take chances, try new endeavours and experience more of what life has to offer, it can make you a more rounded and flexible person who has a less rigid approach to life.

You can have more fun and enjoyment in life and can be a more interesting and enjoyable person to be around.

17. It will make you a more independent person

A strong reason to step out of your comfort zone is to be a more independent person.

When you are unafraid to live your life and experience new challenges, you will be less likely to lean on other people.

Independence is a great skill set to have, it can lead you to do or be anything that you want and can mean you live your life unafraid to take chances and make decisions.

You won’t rely on other people and can live a freer more autonomous life. Who wouldn’t want the freedom and independence to do or be whatever they wanted in life?

Final Thoughts

There are many reasons to step outside of our comfort zone. Rather than it being something to fear, imagine if you looked upon it as a place to discover what you are made of and a place to experience desires and ambitions.

We only have this one life to live so instead of listening to that voice inside you telling you all of the things that you can’t do, try to tell yourself that you are more than capable of doing anything that you put your mind to.

There is no failure in life, if you don’t succeed the first time just try again, the greatest opportunities for you could be waiting just outside your comfort zone, isn’t that something worth investigating?

If you would like help in building self-esteem and self-confidence and eradicating self-limiting beliefs, then think about coaching as a way to move forward.

Coaching can give you all of the tools and help that you need, with someone who is working with you to become the best version of yourself, and someone who will hold you accountable to make sure that you achieve what you set out to get. For more information click on the link get coached.

If you would like to listen to the audio version of this blog post click below:

If you have any thoughts on ways to step out of your comfort zone please comment and share below