Why leave your comfort zone if you've never been there?

Greetings, friends! Imagine an ordinary situation. A person lives in peace, goes to a decent job, after which a beautiful wife and healthy children are waiting for him at home. On weekends he spends time with friends or lies peacefully on the sofa; in the summer he can afford to take his family to the sea for a week or two. He had a stormy youth, and a prosperous old age awaits him. In general, everything is fine. But psychologists and personal growth coaches unanimously insist that he urgently needs to leave his comfort zone. Why do this if it is so comfortable? Why disrupt the idyll of a planned, safe life? In fact, there are reasons for this. Today we will talk about how to get out of your comfort zone, why to do it, and what a personal comfort zone is in general.

The comfort zone either expands or contracts; you cannot always remain at the same level

I like computer games and once played 12-14 hours a day for a whole week and hardly left the house. Then my comfort zone narrowed to a chair and a computer, and even going outside, let alone studying or working, was a real challenge.

The same feeling occurs on vacation, when you don’t have to strain, you have everything included. Sun, sea and you can do nothing. I think you know this feeling when it is difficult to return to work on the first day after vacation, although everything was fine before it.

Read also: Why do you need drying oil for wood?

Why leave your comfort zone

In addition to the comfort zone, there is also a growth zone. It is located just outside the safe space. Imagine a tennis ball and a basketball hoop. The ball is your personal comfort zone, and the circumference of the ring is approximately the growth zone that you can count on. Therefore, if at some point you have a feeling of crampedness in your familiar world, it means that you are ready to increase it or leave it.

Just think:

→ In the comfort zone, the brain is as relaxed as possible; it doesn’t want to change anything. A level of zero stress is also a level of zero efficiency. You do your usual things, but there is no movement forward;

→ the brain does not like change, it is ready to do only what is needed to maintain the comfort zone in a stable state, it does not want and will not work extra;

→ small and controlled stress increases concentration, activates creativity, charges with drive, and stimulates action.

Alas, the human brain craves routine. He will always slow you down in order to maximally preserve the resources that need to be spent on ensuring physical and psychological balance, as well as organizing a comfort zone in relationships with other people.

You can force yourself to change something only through willpower. Some decisive step or jerk that will change the trajectory of your movement within your comfort zone. And in order to do it one day, you need to accustom your brain to the fact that small forays out of your comfort zone are not just safe, but even useful.

How leaving a comfortable environment will change your life

The process of overcoming oneself will not go unnoticed; colossal changes will occur, namely:

You will have a huge number of ideas for development, your perception of the world around you will expand, your brain is constantly fed with information from various areas of knowledge. You will look at everything that is happening around you from a completely different angle.
Productivity will increase significantly, and the fear of solving complex problems will disappear.
Soon, constantly reaching the top will become a habit for you.

Comfort levels

Entrepreneur Bill Ekstrom has studied more than 50,000 coaching sessions and identified several levels of comfort.

The first level is Stagnation

when we just go with the flow, don't take any action to change and are completely in our comfort zone. At this level, we not only do not develop, but often degrade in terms of creative skills and thinking.

The second level is Order

, we are still in the comfort zone, we are aware of this and repeat habitual actions over and over again that lead to a predictable result.

If you stay here for a long time, you get the feeling of a glass ceiling. When there are actions, but no results. It seems like just a little more and everything will work out. Income will increase, skills will reach a new level, or problems will go away on their own. But more often than not, repeating the same thing does not change anything, and this is even more disturbing.

The third level is Difficulty

- this is where the growth zone begins, when we change our usual actions to new ones, more risky and not always successful, and only here we can get unpredictable results, without which growth and a sense of satisfaction are impossible.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein.

What is it for?

Psychologists say that constant living in comfort leads to the fact that a person ossifies in his beliefs. He has practically no “stress habit”, which is developed in less protected people in a less comfortable society. And when changes come - and they will definitely come sooner or later, then such people are not protected from their consequences.

Those who live in a safe, secure, comfortable environment begin to feel confident that nothing bad will ever happen to them. And when this happens, they often simply cannot cope with it. Whereas an active and flexible life prepares you for stress much better, allows you to quickly adapt to your environment, look for new ways out, and move to the next level.

You need to be able to leave your comfort, stand slightly outside of it, then, in any situation, you will maintain sanity and health where others will go crazy or drive themselves into a state of severe stress. Moral readiness for any life scenarios will be a huge advantage in a world where an entire prosperous civilization can collapse due to the most insignificant, at first glance, factors.

Don't be afraid to communicate with "strangers"

When it comes to the need to meet other people, many of us are prone to inaction. We continue to “lie on the couch” rather than solve the problem. This fully applies to both personal life and work acquaintances.

This behavior, according to practicing psychologist Veronica Stepanova, is primarily due to fear. In this situation, the psychologist recommends understanding yourself and taking action:

talk about the situation (what exactly and who you are afraid of);
describe the worst thing that can happen, what a new person will tell you;
Assess how these fears make you feel.

Intensify these experiences as much as possible and mentally “live” these feelings. This way your brain will become “familiar” with the possible negative consequences of a new acquaintance. After this, the level of discomfort during a real meeting will be much less.

Time for a change

Sometimes leaving your comfort zone is triggered by changing circumstances, negative (illness, death of a loved one) or positive (successful marriage, a sharp career leap or popularity). But there are cases when you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone. As a rule, this happens when a person realizes the lack of further prospects with an unchanged lifestyle, when he is ripe for change, but has no idea where to start. It’s easy to understand that the time for change has come. The most obvious sign of this is this: you are no longer satisfied with your life. Why leave your comfort zone? Each of us must answer this question for ourselves.

Article on the topic Give me a book of complaints! How to stop complaining about fate

Bottom line

Leaving your comfort zone can be compared to preparing to jump into cool water. You know that it will be cool later, but you just can’t muster up the courage and avoid the cold splashes. But once you jump into the water, you no longer understand why you waited so long.

Life begins where your comfort zone ends. It's simple: to get out of your comfort zone and feel the results, you need to start doing things that are unusual for you.

I decided to write this post about the comfort zone after I caught myself thinking that I often get stuck in it. This is also a thankless job that you are reluctant to change due to habit. And a lifestyle in which I only think about future achievements, but remain in place and waste time on nonsense.

Friends, what do you think about this? Are you trying to expand your comfort zone, what methods do you use? Write in the comments, it will be interesting to read!

In order not to miss my next articles, get out of your comfort zone and subscribe to blog updates by email!

See you again! Your Alexander Gorokhov :)

How to understand that you are trapped

Finding acquaintances, changing jobs or areas of activity, gaining skills and knowledge is a huge stress for many people. Often such actions are accompanied by risks that bring psychological discomfort to the individual. The uncertainty of the future, fearlessness in the face of future challenges is one of the stages of human development. The older an individual is, the more difficult it is for him to escape from his usual peace. However, an emotionally healthy person should not remain in this state for a long time, otherwise degradation is possible - that’s why you need to get out of your comfort zone.

Imagine for a moment that you find yourself in a situation where practically nothing depends on you. If you have panicky thoughts or feel anxious, this means that you are deeply mired in a problem. Do not resist change, even if it seems terrible, fear is a natural protective reaction of the human body. We are designed this way and only strong individuals can overcome themselves. Usually they are the ones who achieve great success in life.

Five steps to liberation

To achieve new heights and radically change the direction of life, adhere to the following stages of transformation of your internal state.

– Goal setting

Any road always begins with a choice of direction. You need to have a goal and clearly understand where you are going to go. The challenges that need to be overcome can be varied. For example, the fear of talking to new people, when trying to start a conversation, a person is constrained, he falls into a stupor. The solution is to meet strangers as often as possible, while initiating dialogue.

– What and how much do you want?

The next stage is to specify the task at hand. Be clear about what you should receive and when. The result can be measured by facts, amounts or other criteria.

– Labor

Consistently solve all tasks without deviating from the planned plan. Ideally, you will write daily reports to yourself and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

- More work

Get ready for the fact that on the path to achieving success there will be a lot of difficulties that you will not be able to overcome immediately. Don't take on more than you can handle. It's better to go slowly but surely.

– Development of “new horizons”

If you suddenly realized that yesterday’s milestone has again become your usual habitat, you can safely move forward and explore the unknown.

Ask a question

Description

The concept represents a physical space or state where a person is securely settled and feels “at ease” - this is a familiar habitat, a sequence of actions, situations, the result of which is calculated and predicted in advance. The person is emotionally safe.

The decision to radically change your field of activity means going beyond comfort. Along with a new position and higher financial remuneration, an employee’s mental load and responsibility increases. Additional time is required to adapt and complete newly assigned tasks. Sudden but expected changes cause stress and anxiety in the individual. Discomfort will be felt until the individual “gets involved.” As soon as he gets used to it, stability in business will be established - the stressful state changes polarity and calmness is restored.

What are the risks of constantly staying in this zone?

The desire for comfort is understandable and normal. But if a person constantly stays in the same conditions, even if they are optimal and convenient for him, this can lead to unpleasant consequences. Thus, being within the framework and automaticity of actions, firstly, lead to a cessation of development, which gradually transforms into degradation. You stop developing and stop at the level you are at, and you can gradually fall one or more steps lower.

Secondly, your brain works less, and over time you notice that more complex and unusual problems become difficult to solve, and any deviation from well-studied algorithms makes you tense, nervous and irritable. You stop thinking creatively and looking for alternative ways to solve problems, which negatively affects your professional activities, as well as the way out of unforeseen situations.

Thirdly, you may simply not have time to adapt to changes and literally fall out of life, the rhythm of which accelerates every year, and conditions are constantly changing. And this will lead to difficulties when looking for a job, trying to find a significant other, or learning new skills.

And finally, fourthly, by constantly staying in your comfort zone, you make your life boring and monotonous, even if it is calm and comfortable. Beyond the boundaries you set, there is much that is new and unknown. And although all this is scary, some events can give a lot of vivid emotions and positive impressions, allow you to gain invaluable experience and learn something important.

What is a “comfort zone”

A comfort zone is a space familiar to a person, where he feels safe from a psychological point of view. This is a kind of framework with which a person limits himself. Going beyond these limits always causes discomfort, both emotional (fear, excitement, anxiety) and physiological (trembling, rapid heartbeat).

Creating a comfort zone is very simple. A person satisfies his basic needs by acquiring habits and patterns of behavior. The simplest example is life according to the home-work-home scheme. A person lives as if on “autopilot”, moving in a vicious circle from the usual work to the usual rest.

On the one hand, mechanically performing our usual actions, we know what will happen next. It turns out to be such a comfortable and predictable life with a minimal level of stress. It sucks in like a swamp. And the further you go, the more terrible it is to leave her and try something new and unknown.

However, this condition is detrimental to our personality. It doesn't develop. The reverse process begins - degradation. We are afraid to face troubles, forgetting that the world is full of pleasant moments, discoveries and exciting adventures.

Does every day feel like Groundhog Day? Is there anything new and unusual happening? This is your comfort zone. Determining it is quite simple - you need to track your reaction to an unexpected event. Fear is a sure sign of a comfort zone. It’s good if an unforeseen situation arouses your interest, excitement, and pleasant excitement.

Why you need to get out of your comfort zone, reasons

The advantage of being inside your comfort zone is that you know that nothing out of the ordinary will happen. The downside is the same - nothing will happen, and you know it.

I will list a few names. Think about what unites them?

Elon Musk (where would we be without him?);
Jim carrey;
Stephen King;
Sylvester Stallone;
Arnold Schwarzenegger;
Elvis Presley;
Oprah Winfrey;
Walt Disney;
Bill Gates;
Steve Jobs;
Albert Einstein;
Thomas Edison;
Steven Spielberg;
Henry Ford;
Michael Jordan;
(the list could go on, I just wanted it to be long enough).

Besides the fact that you have heard the name of each of them at least once, they all come from the “lower classes.” They didn't have a ticket to world fame in the form of a rich dad or a lucky coincidence. At one time, they all left their comfort zone and started working hard. And here's what it's all about:

Difficulties and negative incidents lead to positive results.

There is another option for the development of events. What if everyone on this list asked themselves “why?” and decided to just move on with your usual normal life? You would just read a list of random unknown names.

Three reasons why you need to step out of your comfort zone:

The comfort zone is not where it is comfortable, but where it is familiar and safe. In other words, you can frankly suffer from being in your comfort zone, but still refuse to leave it because of your habit of living this way.
Getting out of your comfort zone is the only way to develop. Arnold Schwarzenegger said that in order for muscles to develop, they need to be constantly shocked. The same workout will no longer bring results over time, as the muscles adapt to it. The same applies to other aspects of life: to develop, you need to break your usual (comfortable) plan of action.
Stepping out of your comfort zone will make you happier. This is a continuation of the previous point. Recent psychological research has shown that the primary ingredient for a happy life is progress. Psychologist Shawn Achor describes happiness as the joy you feel as you move toward your potential.

Exit instructions

At the moment, many books have been written that tell how to get out of your comfort zone. One of the most popular is Brian Tracy’s book “Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Change your life". In it, the author offers 21 ways to increase personal effectiveness.

All the recommendations proposed by the author are clear and feasible. You can immediately implement them into your life to get a positive effect. No special preparation is required. The book is easy and quick to read. It is supplemented with good and relevant quotes. You can start reading it today.

I want to offer more concise, but no less effective instructions for leaving your comfort zone. I in no way encourage you to give up everything and go on a trip around the world or jump with a parachute. You shouldn't do this just to jump out of a comfortable existence. It all starts with defining a goal.

Step 1. Setting a goal

The first step is always the most important. It determines the direction of your movement. You need to understand what you are striving for, what you are dreaming about. Once you look outside your comfort zone, you will discover many new opportunities. And your dream will gradually turn into a goal.

However, this goal must be achievable, measurable and useful. When you achieve what you want, your life will change for the better. Here on the portal you can read an article about how to set goals correctly. I don’t recommend setting goals at random. Think carefully about why you need this and what you ultimately want to achieve.

For example, you want to get a TOEFL certificate in order to enroll in one of the American colleges. Set a goal for yourself - to pass the international English language exam TOEFL with at least 90 points. Set a deadline for yourself depending on the initial level of your knowledge - for example, 1 year.

Step 2. Making a plan

At this stage, you need to develop a clear action plan to achieve your goal. You define specific tasks, set deadlines for their completion and the final result. The result may be some numbers, facts or estimates. In general, something that will help you understand how well you completed the task.

If we continue the example of passing the TOEFL, then the tasks can be considered the study of specific topics. For example, verb tenses in English, and there are at least 12 of them. The result of completing the task will be passing an intermediate exam on knowledge of a specific topic.

Gradually taking it step by step, you will move towards your goal. The main thing is to consistently and regularly complete the assigned tasks.

Step 3. Start of the journey

When you leave your comfort zone, discomfort will immediately become your companion. A new beginning is always accompanied by anxiety, excitement, and fear. Remember that this is just a sensation and not a sharp pain. There will be no threat to life or health when, for example, you start meditating or speaking at a conference.

Fear is an irrational emotion. He does not let you go beyond your usual comfortable way of life. Try to love the discomfort. Feel the pleasure of this state. After all, in the end it will help you achieve your goals and become successful.

Step 4. Continuing the path

Expanding your comfort zone takes effort and time. There is no need to rush and run headlong. It usually takes at least 21 days to establish a new habit. This time is enough to feel comfortable and calm at each subsequent stage. Such consistent work will help to significantly expand the boundaries of your comfort zone.

If you rush too much, the increased sense of fear will drive you back. The excitement you felt at the beginning of your journey will begin to wane. There will be a temptation to return to old habits and patterns of behavior. This is a normal feeling. Don't blame yourself for this, otherwise the feeling of guilt will forever pin you to the sofa.

It’s better to think about where to get motivation from and how to restore it. Some psychologists advise in such difficult moments to simply start moving and behave confidently. Such movements will help create the right emotions and mood.

Step 5. Finish

Once you achieve your goal, give yourself some rest. Experience joy and pride in yourself. But victory is not only about the result obtained. This is the realization that the territory that scared you at the beginning of your journey has now become your new comfort zone. More spacious.

Why return to your comfort zone again?

In addition to the new endless experiences that people experience outside their comfort zone, they should still return there - to the familiar, cozy and comfortable world. We cannot constantly live in a zone of stress and anxiety. You should return to your usual routine in order to calm down, settle down and master new experiences. Otherwise, new experiences will become a familiar routine and will force you to achieve more and more, often completely unnecessary.

A reasonable exit from your comfort zone will allow, on the one hand, to move forward and comprehend new things, and on the other hand, to comprehend this new thing and appreciate more what we already have now. The point of this process is not to become an adrenaline junkie in search of thrills, but to unleash your creative potential, see the world with its wonderful possibilities, and take it back so that you feel inspired and bring it into your daily life.