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How To Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone Comfortably
Our comfort zone is our little mental or physical bubble in which we feel at ease. We surround ourselves with things we're good at, things that make us happy, and people we like. While that's all well and good, sometimes we have to face our fears, even when we don't want to.
Usually, when we have to step out of our comfort zone, we feel uneasy and anxious. Fears can swell up to the point where we feel paralyzed. We overthink and overcomplicate things, which can lead to a breakdown. Our minds become overwhelmed with thoughts of failure and negative chatter. Soon, we believe we aren't good enough and we retreat into our bubble for shelter. If this has happened to you, you are not alone.
Fear is a real thing. Everyone experiences fears. Fear of failure, of rejection, of not being good enough, of heights, spiders, flying, public speaking, and the list goes on. If we let our fears control our lives, we won't be able to function. Fear not—there are ways to counteract fear and step out of your comfort zone at your own speed.
Here are three simple mindsets that you can use next time you face something uncomfortable or new:
Understand Your Fear
The first step to leaving your comfort zone is to recognize what your fears are. Pick something that you are uncomfortable with and ask yourself a few questions to get to the root of your fear.
Are you afraid of failure? Of lack of knowledge? Don't think you're good enough? What would your friends or family think? These are all valid questions. Once you realize what is holding you back, you can begin to work on it. One thing at a time.
Fear can be a good thing. When you view failure as a lesson and an experience rather than as something negative, you can learn and grow from that failure rather than letting it prevent you from succeeding.
Example: You have a fear of rock climbing. You ask yourself what you're afraid of and discover it's a fear of falling.
Be Open To Learning
After realizing what you're uncomfortable with, you can choose your course of action. Do you know an expert or mentor who can help guide you? Do you want to learn at your own speed and pick things up at your own pace?
Are there helpful guides, blogs, and forums online that can describe things in better detail? Once you begin learning more about something, you will notice that your anxiety and fears begin to dissipate.
When you are learning, take small steps. Focus on one thing and learn about it before moving on to the next. If you bounce around and try to learn everything at once, you'll have a difficult time remembering details or overwhelm yourself.
In our post-pandemic world, there are quite a few people who are hesitant to shake hands. Maybe they've forgotten how to do it properly. If you have, our article How To Shake Hands Properly In A Post-Pandemic World will guide you how to do it effectively.
Example: You watch a few videos on YouTube on the safety procedures and the equipment used to prevent falling. You ask a friend who is into rock climbing to show you what they wear and the procedures they use when climbing.
Grow
Once you've learned a bit more about this new endeavour, you can begin to practice it. Take the skills you've been studying and begin to apply them. By now, your fears should be nothing more than small thoughts. You know more about the new idea or task than you did before.
At times, you may still feel afraid or uncertain, and this is completely normal. There may be something you didn't think of or a new detail you didn't notice before. As we learn about new things, there will be times where we discover other skills or steps that we didn't notice before. This is a great opportunity to ask and learn how it influences what you're doing.
Cornell University published an article on motivational and growth, titled Leaving Your Comfort Zone Inspires Motivation, Growth, which includes a couple studies on the topic.
Example: After seeing the safety procedures involved, you decide to go to a rock climbing class and take a few lessons, combining the knowledge you learn on your own with the lessons the instructor teaches you.When we face our fears and overcome our doubts, we feel a giant weight lifted off our chest. This massive boost of success is immeasurable. We feel can move mountains and conquer anything when we overcome our challenges. The more fears you face, the more resilient you become. We may look back and realize that what we were afraid of was nothing more than a lack of knowledge.
Those who step into the unknown more often are those who develop stronger skills. They challenge themselves both mentally and physically, sharpening their problem solving skills and also learning new skills in the process. They are more at ease when unexpected things happen because they've already experienced the unexpected while learning.
Don't be afraid to try new things. You never know what may be waiting for you at the end of your journey. It could lead to a newfound love or appreciation for something meaningful in your life. Never be afraid to ask questions or avoid them because of fears. If you want to learn how to ask better questions, read our article How To Start Asking Better Questions.
Summary
While we may be afraid to step out of our comfort zone and try new things, there's nothing wrong with taking a moment to step back and collect our thoughts. Once we know why we are afraid of new things, we can begin to challenge those thoughts and overcome them. There's nothing wrong with asking for help or admitting we don't know.
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