What does it mean to be in your comfort zone? And how do you know when you are stuck in it? You are in your comfort zone when you fail to inconvenience yourself in order to do something that is a basic requirement for your personal growth and productivity. Your comfort zone could be physical, mental, emotional, social, and even spiritual. It surfaces in every aspect of your life. While you may not be aware of the effects of staying in your comfort zone, the implications of staying in it have proven to be very costly and sometimes, even deadly.
HOW TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE:
• You constantly procrastinate
• You run away when things become hard
• You are afraid of change
• You have a fear of the unknown
• You do not provide suggestions when you have the solutions
• You do not want to be bothered
• You complain a lot
• You do not explore new things and have a fixed mindset
Read also: I had to step out of my comfort zone to succeed
WHAT IS A COMFORT ZONE?
Scientists refer to your comfort zone as “a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease, and secure.”
Your comfort zone is a behavioural space where your activities and behaviours fit a pattern that minimises stress and risk. It provides a state of mental security.
The idea of the comfort zone goes back to a classic experiment in psychology. Back in 1908, psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson explained that a state of relative comfort created a steady level of performance In order to maximize performance, however, we need a state of relative anxiety—a space where our stress levels are slightly higher than normal. This space is called “Optimal Anxiety,” and it’s just outside our comfort zone.
However, optimal anxiety is needed for your mental productivity and higher performance.
WHY PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR COMFORT ZONE:
People stay in their comfort zone because it takes energy to move something into action.
Here are the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone:
1. You become more productive
2. It challenges you to perform at your peak to earn more money.
3. You have an easier time dealing with new and unexpected changes.
4. You will find it easier to brainstorm and harness your creativity.
5. You accomplish your goals.
6. You become a happier person.
Read also: Why I constantly seek out ventures that push me beyond my comfort zone – Atimoe
HOW YOU CAN BREAK OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
1. Make a procrastination list and do one thing at a time.
2. Switch up your routine.
3. Move towards your fear.
4. Give up control.
5. Start the questions other people do not want to ask.
6. Start conversations with strangers.
7. Get in front of the camera and do a video.
CONCLUSION:
Without the proper motivation, we are willing to stay in a situation that does not improve us, for fear that the discomfort we will feel by stepping outside of our current circumstances will be greater than the discontent we feel now, this is wrong. To achieve anything worthwhile in life, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Staying in your comfort zone impedes your personal growth, keeps you from trying new things and conditions you to settle for less in life. For your business to grow, you need to step into new territory, study your competition, know your customers, create new products and so on, all these things may be challenging but are absolutely necessary. In your marriage, or motherhood (fatherhood), your spouse may start acting differently, your curiosity to investigate the reason for the change will make you step out of your comfort zone and that is what will enable you to get to the root of the problem.
As a mother, you must know that each child is different and cannot all be treated or nurtured in the same way. Behavioural outbursts from teenagers force a lot of parents to investigate new strategies for parenting children today. In your job, if you do not take your own career growth into your own hands and start taking steps every day to be proactive, creative, and be more productive, your will never grow. So remember this- “while your comfort zone may seem safe and convenient to you, nothing will ever grow there and you will remain stuck in many aspects of your life!”
To get more support through training and coaching to implement these steps successfully, contact me at mounfiqabu@lifesyncblueprint.com or 08145440558
You can read more about this in our blog at www.raiyaninspires.com.
