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What is the Comfort Zone?
You can look at the comfort zone as a privilege you’ve been given for living in the 21st century, where most of us have practically all we need to survive – food, water, shelter, and an iPhone. This comfortable life is a blessing and a curse at the same time, as it provides security and ease, but it can also lead to complacency and prevent personal growth.
So, when people tell you that you must get out of your comfort zone, what they really mean is this:
“Personal growth can never happen in the comfort zone; a person that wishes for self-improvement must escape it.”
Comfort > Friction & Learning > Growth
Okay, so we now know that personal growth can happen only when we step outside of our comfort zone. But why is that the case?
If you want to grow, you must experience challenges and face the unknown. You can’t learn anything by doing the same things over and over, and you won’t change if you follow the same routine. For growth, you need friction.
It’s easier to watch Netflix than to study; it’s more comfortable to eat pizza than to work out; it’s easier to scroll through TikTok than to read a book. So, we need to try to do what’s good for us, not what’s easy. And, well… that’s not easy.
For example, if you want to learn to play the piano, you must work hard and be consistent when you face challenges. This means leaving the place of comfort where you feel in control—that’s growth.
Your brain evolved to hate uncertainty, and anything beyond your comfort zone is uncertain. When you feel safe, your brain releases chemicals that allow you to relax. When you feel uncomfortable, different chemicals make your body tense up and prepare you for a challenging situation. That’s why it’s so hard for us to leave our comfort zone – we need to fight our innate primal desires and overcome anxiety and fear. This behavior emerged to avoid potential threats, but in the modern world, it often does not serve you well.
A Different Approach
I want to provide you with a different approach: don’t try to get out of your comfort zone; instead, strive to expand it so you can be more comfortable in more situations. Don’t escape it, expand it.
You can do that by following these simple tips:
1. Do something outside of your comfort zone every single day. It doesn’t have to be big; actually, it’s better if it’s small at the start. It can be taking a cold shower, going for a run if you dislike running, talking to a stranger on the street if you’re shy, or meditating for 10 minutes if you have ADHD. You get the point.
2. Schedule time for an out-of-your-comfort-zone adventure every now and then. It can be hiking in the woods for three days, trying skydiving for the first time, going on a road trip, or taking other challenges that will force you to get out of your comfort zone. Try to do something big you wouldn’t do otherwise.
To sum it all up, it’s all about creating habits and acting in order to improve yourself while you learn how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
The comfort zone is not always bad for us, nor is it always good. It’s more about why you’re there and for how long.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading this post and gained some value, Goodbye.
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