DON’T LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE; EXPAND IT
The comfort zone is a behavioural state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without risk. It is a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested. In short, free from risk and uncertainty. Comfort zones can be the greatest enemy of our courage and confidence. Comfort zone refers to ‘’our comforting place’’ but is also a limiting zone.
We can see many people struggling to step out of their safety bubbles. Perhaps they are clinging to some of the misconceptions about their comfort zone. We can often see people have thoughts as “My comfort zone is safe’’, “My comfort zone is my happy place’’ and so on. But these are just some old myths. Remaining in our comfort zone is like Zorbing through life. While we might feel safe and secure inside the bubble, we are unknowingly participating in an extreme sport. What is zorbing, you might ask? Zorbing is a daring activity where people get inside a large plastic bubble and roll around on a flat ground or down a hill. Stepping out of the bubble of comfort is challenging but remember every step counts! That’s when we see results and the more, we venture out, the easier it gets.
We avoid things because in one way or another, they all involve different types of pain. for example, when we first speak in public it makes us nervous because it’s unfamiliar, we haven’t trained ourselves to do it and to making a choice of going out there and speaking up breaks the fear of the unknown. We are programed to seek comfort. The thought of doing something that is uncomfortable will cause us to feel some kind of discomfort which drives us away from doing such a thing.
One of the most compelling reasons to push outside of our usual boundaries is to stretch our comfort zone. When we take risks, embrace some discomfort and doubt, and succeed, we not only improve our overall skill set, but we boost our confidence. The more we try challenging activities, the more normal those tasks become, broadening our comfort zone to larger and larger dimensions. Although our comfort zone might be the most comfortable part of our life, it does not allow us to be who we are capable of being. It isn’t wise to stay locked in it.
Therefore, breaking out of your comfort zone is like metamorphosing into an aplomb.
(Sairing Maharjan: Student of Kathmandu University School Of Management.)