5 Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Recently I had an experience that really threw me out of my comfort zone, and tell you what, I did not enjoy it. The experience felt frustrating, slow, and at times I wanted to pull my hair out. I was faced with creating a new website. Yes, this very one that you are looking at now. 

When I first started I couldn’t figure out how to add sections, then once I figured it out the sections didn’t appear as I wanted them to, then I realized when I looked at them as the mobile view they would change, and it went on and on like that… (insert heavy sigh here). 

It was driving me absolutely nuts.

I kept at it realizing that as I went along I was learning and growing in my abilities with WordPress, Canva, and Elementor. My website literally looked like a bunch of nonsense until the last few days of working on it and then it magically came together. 

That really is how it goes, right? Struggle and frustration until you hit the top of the mountain and roll down smoothly. Everything has to come to the peak moment of chaos until it aligns into order pretty quickly. And along with it we have this new skill, experience, friendship…. Fill in the blank and choose your own adventure.

As a homeschooling mom I watch this scenario play out over and over with my son as well. He at times riles against this new experience or lesson until he reaches a moment in which it all comes together. 

After having accomplished the challenge at hand I always feel a sense of accomplishment and I know my son does too. We celebrate with high fives or a quick game of basketball.

I just recently learned that it is relatively common to have the fear of trying new things, scientifically called neophobia. I can honestly say that at one time in my life I may have struggled with this to a mild degree so there is a part of me that can relate. 

I would urge anyone struggling with this to find small ways (at first) to break free (depending on the severity you may need outside help with this). As we explore what life

has to offer, our courage and freedom grow to new heights allowing us to take on even greater challenges. 

Our growth is important for many reasons, but if we are stifled in pursuing growth at all, then none of that matters. We need to harness our own energy and will to drive ourselves into those new scenarios imagining who we will be after we conquer the new challenge. 

Who we are after accomplishing this new thing is the most important part. You may ask yourself:

What will it mean to me to start this new business?

What kind of person would I be if I joined the hiking meetup?

How will I feel about myself if I ___________?

What will I believe about myself if I _____________?

What will it mean for me going forward if I ___________?

And maybe ask yourself the flipside of each of these questions as well:

What will it mean if I don’t _________?

What kind of person will l be if I don’t ______?

How will I feel about myself if I don’t _______?

What will I believe about myself if I don’t _________?

What will it mean for me going forward if I __________?

This is not to instill shame or blame. It is to highlight what we want so we can start to move forward toward it. And also to highlight what we don’t want so we can move away from that. 

Now if you are coming up with some big buts such as, “I want to ____________, but I don’t have the _______________.”

Then ask the following questions:

If there was a way for me to have the ________, how would it happen?

If there was a solution to this challenge, what would it look like?

We have to have the motivation to move forward for it to happen. Taking control of our motivations and making ourselves aware of them is the first step. Then we move on to actually getting out of our comfort zone and here are some ways you can do it:

1. 
   A 30 Day Challenge – My brother has been doing 30 Day Challenges for years. In this time he has learned to solve a rubix cube, make balloon animals, and juggle. Those are some of the memorable ones, but he has also trained for a marathon, incorporated new health practices such as drinking more water, and started making his bed daily. 
2. Travel to a new place – This can be a road trip to a neighboring state or even playing tourist in  your own city if there are things you have never tried. 
3. Learn something new – Whether it be learning about the mating rituals of the dung beetle or learning a new language, taking in new information can help us think differently about the world and ourselves. 
4. Make new connections – Joining a group through meetup or taking a class with strangers helps us step out of our bubble and make new friends. This can give us confidence and new connections. 
5.  Have a goal? Go for it! This may be a small goal at first and include any of the other suggestions above or if it is a personal goal think of all the ways it can change your life and put them on paper. And if you are trying to quit something, list all the triggers or challenges you may face in trying to reach your goal and solutions or alternative choices to the trigger. In moments of weakness, refer back to your lists. 

You may be wondering how things turned out for me after building my website. I’m pretty stoked that I stuck to it and finished the job. I’m pretty happy with the results and it made me feel more confident in my relationship to technology. That is enough for me to say I would do it all over again if I had the choice, and I love that!

Pushing yourself to do uncomfortable things is like a muscle and the more you do it, the bigger the challenges you can take on. Constantly making decisions to push out of your comfort zone will help strengthen you and your life in many ways. 

Lastly, we never know the impact that one life choice will make for us. We don’t know if it will lead to meeting our new best friend, a much needed career change, or discovering a new passion. We don’t know if it will lead to our life being all the more well off because of one decision or one chance encounter. But if you don’t take that step to get outside your comfort zone, you will never know.

If you are having a challenging time with fear and want to find out if PSYCH-K can help, set up a consultation and we can talk about your personal situation.

Best wishes!

Jen

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is intended to provide general information and inspiration. While it offers valuable insights, it’s essential to remember that it’s not a substitute for professional advice or therapy. If you’re facing significant challenges or struggling with mental health issues, I encourage you to seek support from qualified professionals who can provide personalized guidance.