It’s safe to say that everyone has heard the term “comfort zone” at least once in their lives, right? A comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels safe and things are easy to control. Consider your comfort zone like your safe space in your head. It’s your settled way of dealing with life, where you feel comfortable because everything is always familiar. There’s nothing new, challenging, or particularly rewarding to find there. Some might try to convince you that there are benefits to sticking to your comfort zone. They’ll argue it can help you minimize risks, protect your inner peace, and save time during your routine. Well not only does that sound boring, but it also sounds incredibly stagnant, safe, and overall not conducive to evolving as a human being. Next!
Mentors, coaches, and accomplished individuals insist that people need to step out of their comfort zones to grow. Because you can’t continue to develop as a person if you’re doing the same things over and over again. And everyone benefits from undergoing personal growth! We all need to evolve, be challenged, overcome obstacles, learn, face fears, have new experiences, and make moves. So as you can see, there are so many reasons to push past your comfort zone. So today’s article is dedicated to this important topic. If you’re stuck in the safety of your comfort zone, time to step up to the plate! Keep reading to learn why and how to get out of your comfort zone!
How & Why To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Below we’re going to walk through both the how and why of getting out of your comfort zone. Trust us, once you understand the why, it will make the show feel much more approachable!
What is the Comfort Zone?
So, let’s talk about comfort zones—those cozy little spaces where we feel safe and familiar. You know, the ones that protect us from the unknown and keep us in our comfort bubble.
But here’s the thing: staying within our comfort zones can also hold us back from growth and new experiences. It’s like only hanging out with the same group of friends and never meeting new people. Sure, it’s comfy, but stepping outside that bubble opens up a world of possibilities. And speaking of possibilities, setting goals is another area where comfort zones can stunt our progress. When we stick to what’s comfortable, we might miss out on reaching our full potential and finding fulfillment.
Why Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Your comfort zone is holding you back from personal growth.
You can’t grow unless you’re experiencing new things! And new things are not part of your comfort zone. It’s tempting to stay within the good old ways, where nothing can take you by surprise or put you on the spot. But a monotonous existence leaves very little room for any personal growth. Think about the person you want to be, the one you know you’re meant to develop into. Can you become that person by sticking to old habits? The answer is probably no. So start moving and allow your personal development to take off!
Taking risks can help improve your stress management skills.
Believe it or not, risks help you grow. Especially when it comes to stress management! Yes, taking risks can be stressful at first. But it will help you handle that stress during critical situations in t[the future. If you start small and make the first move – concerning dating and relationships, a new career, or even a move across the country – you’ll learn that putting yourself in a stressful spot can have a huge payoff in the long run. So rise to the occasion and practice handling stressful situations with ease!
Pushing past your routine will make you more creative.
Nothing kills creativity as fast as a boring and repetitive routine! The longer you are unexposed to new ideas, innovative ways of thinking and exciting events, the more you shield yourself from anything that can be creative or revolutionary. Soon enough, you’ll be stuck repeating the same old tricks in an endless loop. But don’t worry, stepping out of your comfort zone can help with this! To leave your comfort zone, you need to experience new things. And this will boost your creativity and imagination faster than you think. So put yourself out there and embrace the unknown!
You’ll become a much more confident person.
Boosting your confidence can be tricky, especially if you’re afraid of moving past what’s safe and familiar. There are many ways to increase your self-confidence! You can listen to confidence-boosting podcasts, work on your mental health and become your own best friend, or ditch your comfort zone for good. But how will leaving what’s familiar and taking risks help you become more confident? Well, nothing is rewarding about doing what you already know how to do. It won’t give you a boost in your self-esteem or feel like a victory. On the other hand, facing your fear of failure and managing to succeed at something you’re new at will make you believe in your abilities. You’ll achieve your goals and become more confident in the process!
Your growth zone will help you achieve your goals.
Once you push past your comfort zone and transition into the learning zone, there’s the coveted growth zone waiting for you. According to the Learning Zone Model, the growth zone is where you will be able to achieve success and become that successful person you’ve always wanted to be. There you’ll be able to experiment with the unknown and learn new skills, developing as a person as a result. This means your dreams are waiting on the other side of where you feel comfortable!
How To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Shift your mindset to focus on personal growth.
We know shifting your mindset requires some hard work and mental effort, but it’s worth it. So you need to focus on your personal development and drop everything else from your thoughts! Your mindset affects how you approach everything in life, so the work needs to begin there. Start with a small step, maybe it’s setting boundaries or working on your morning routine. Just do whatever you need to transform your way of thinking and grow. Lucky for you, we have a detailed post on how to shift your mindset and stay focused. Give it a read to improve your journey out of your comfort zone!
Switch up your daily routine.
It’s no secret that the impulse to control everything affects your daily routine. Therefore you might get stuck doing the same things over and over to avoid even the smallest of risks! That hijacks your chances of growth and progress towards your goals. There’s no use in trying to control everything all the time, as Gabby explains in THIS episode of Dear Gabby. So try switching up your routine as a start! You can take a baby step first, like mixing up your music playlist or trying a new breakfast recipe. Just drop the urge to have everything under control and you’ll see the growth opportunities start to arise!
Learn a skill you’ve always wanted to master.
Learning new things is a great way to step out of your comfort zone. Especially if that skill is one you’ve always wanted to master! It can be anything you want! From becoming a time management wizard or studying a new language to mastering public speaking or learning how to bake, there are many skills you can challenge yourself with. Get creative and step out of your comfort zone the fun way!
Start saying YES.
If you’re the kind of person who turns down opportunities, invitations, and suggestions often in order to stay in your comfort zone, time to say yes. Commit to saying yes to things that would normally not be your vibe. Go to the art show, see that weird movie with the friend who keeps asking, and take a class you wouldn’t normally take. Just say yes and try new things! Who knows you might find more hobbies to enjoy!
Get vulnerable and work on your mental health.
The first small step towards change can often be the scariest one. That’s because you need to check in with yourself and your mental health before jumping into the unknown. So don’t shy away from getting vulnerable and reflecting on your mental state. If you need advice from someone who’s been there already, listen to THIS episode of Real Pod where guest Justin Anderson shares his personal growth story. Remember there’s nothing wrong with recognizing the problem areas in your life and taking the time to work on them. It doesn’t feel comfortable, but it gets you closer to your growth zone!
Be an active member of your community.
Let’s admit it, we’re all pretty comfortable keeping to ourselves. That’s the safe choice, to avoid unfamiliar company and hang out with the same people every day. But you need to be an active member of your community to expose yourself to new people and experiences! Otherwise, you won’t push past your comfort zone. Don’t worry, you don’t need to become a social butterfly overnight. You can start by giving back to the community by attending local fundraising or volunteering on weekends. That way you’re doing two good things at once: ditching your comfort zone and helping those around you. It’s an honorable way to seek personal growth!
Prioritize which areas of your life to push past your comfort zone.
You can’t transform every aspect of your life at once. That’s a recipe for burnout and a lack of quality sleep! Leaving your comfort zone is a long process so you need to prioritize which areas you want to work on first. Let’s say your primary goal is to find a romantic partner. Then you need to try something new! Put yourself out there by downloading a couple of dating apps and connecting with people on those platforms. Daunting, for sure. But Lindsey Metselaar gives some pretty killer tips on THIS episode of We Met At Acme that will up your game. This is just one example but you can repeat the same thought process for any area of your life!
Conquer your fear of failure.
Failure is terrifying, there’s no denying that! But fear of failure will keep you locked inside your comfort zone and limit your chances of personal growth. If you never try, you’ll never know how well you could’ve done. It’s better to fail than to never succeed because of fear. So leave your comfort zone by conquering your fear of failure and taking that risk! Seize all opportunities and work to achieve your goals. It’s the only way forward! Here’s an episode of The Dream Bigger Podcast with Siffat Haider on how to handle imposter syndrome!
How do you plan to step out of your comfort and achieve your goals?
That’s all you need to know about why and how to push past your comfort zone! As some might say, your comfort zone will kill you. To be honest, it’s unlikely to kill you but it will hold you back from becoming the best version of yourself. So get out of there as fast as you can! There’s so much personal growth waiting for you on the other side. Plus, all you need to do is take one baby step to kick off your progress! How are you going to take action and leave your comfort zone? Let us know in the comments! And if you need any more personal development advice, check out the rest of our Dear Media blog. We post a new article twice a week! Good luck ditching your comfort zone!