What is the Comfort Zone? The Comfort Zone is a psychological state where things feel familiar, you are at ease and perceive you are in control of the environment. 

The daily routine, it’s predictable not challenging or different. You get used to what you do day in day out. The same route to work or school because it’s efficient, it takes the least amount of time, there’s less traffic, it’s known & safe. The same drink you order at Starbucks, the same things you do for entertainment on the weekend because it’s easy and you’re busy, this is definitely how I am during school term time because it’s so busy and tiring taking these kids here there and everywhere. 

In the Comfort Zone even though it’s much easier & “comfortable” you become very stagnated and bored this is what I have/had become and it was bothering me so badly. I had to change to come out of my Comfort Zone, to grow as a person & attain my dreams & aspirations that are bottled up inside me. 

I believe we all had dreams and aspirations when we were younger, what we wanted to do or who we wanted to become and took a lot more risk when we had less to lose and less responsibility.

So what have I done

I challenge anyone who reads this as I’ve been challenging myself 

Do ONE thing every day that scares you or that’s different to your regular routine. Start off small, I often decide the day before, it can be anything –  calling someone you haven’t spoken to for a while, buying a different drink in Starbucks or not even Starbucks at all, going for a walk, taking a class etc

It is uncomfortable & even scary & anxiety-inducing because it isn’t familiar but in a great way and I have LOVED it. I have something new and different to look forward to every day. It has 100% helped me come more and more out of my comfort zone. Some days I cannot and take breaks & that is OK (reinforce that part to yourself).

If I fail to achieve what I have set out to achieve it doesn’t bother me, it bothers me more not trying or not going for something I really want – fail forward and continue forward. 

Then it turned into 2 different/scary things a day to come more out of my Comfort Zone. 

When we do something repeatedly we create neural pathways (like roads) in our brains. The more you do that something the more it’s reinforced (the road is driven along) familiar & easier/efficient to do. There are many neural pathways in your brain all interconnected. 

The brain is all about efficiency and expending the least amount of energy. 

Different isn’t scary it’s just different. Our brain is just trying to keep us safe not happy so it likes familiar even though it may not be the best thing for you. The more you do different things the more you will feel it’s safe to do so. 

For example – I had to change my children’s school, the one they were in was so close it took 10 minutes to walk there but it had gone downhill. When I changed I questioned if I made the right decision because it’s so much further away, fast forward my kids are settled and it’s opened my world to a better place to live. I could have easily stuck to what is familiar and easier even though I knew it wasn’t good. 

Change and action leads to confidence because you trust that you are capable of doing it, it’s just like a skill the more practice you do the better & more familiar you become. 

Even writing this blog is out of my comfort zone because I haven’t written in so long. It’s working my brain muscles but I’m glad and proud that I’m doing it instead of just doing what’s easy, scrolling social media. There are many more examples of change and coming out of my comfort zone that has opened up my world which leads to different, fun, worthwhile & deeply fulfilling experiences that create great memories. 

Say yes to more that’s out of your comfort zone – but trust your gut.

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