The Comfort Zone can be defined as a psychological state in which a person is at ease and does not feel stress. It is a place of internal stability where everything seems to be going smoothly and nothing significant is happening. The comfort zone is a comfortable place to be in. In life, we love to stay in our comfort zones. In the comfort zone people, places, situations are not demanding more from us and we feel like everything is going well.
Pitfalls of the Comfort Zone
While the comfort zone seems to be a nice place to be in, it breeds inaction, unconscious thinking patterns and provides a false sense of security in what is known.
Because it is non-demanding it does not welcome new opportunities that could stretch us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. When we choose to stay within the comfort zone we slowly but surely lose our abilities to adapt and become flexible.
Another huge problem is when we have developed habits that do not serve us and we have become so comfortable in them that we cease to see their degrading effects in our lives.
Because they are part of our comfort zone we justify them, allow them to perpetuate and don’t grow out of them. When we remain in the comfort zone we recreate the same.
As long as we stay with what is familiar and known we continue to hold the same thoughts and feelings. We behave in predictable ways that will always give us the same results in life.
Growing, Changing and the Comfort Zone
Fortunately or unfortunately depending on how you wish to look at it life does not allow us to stay in our comfort zones for very long.
The phrase, Change is the Only Constant implies just that. We are constantly changing and growing and being forced out of our comfort zones.
Changes can be of different kinds, self-created, forced upon us by others or even by the environment. A self-created change could happen when we begin to feel stuck in a specific place (such as a job) as it neither challenges nor provides any form of excitement.
We start looking for something new. This type of action could lead us to expand our comfort zone. Others could also force change within us. A change in statuses such as the birth of a child or a marriage can be the stimulus.
Such changes could present new challenges that force us to go beyond what we already know and do.
Breaking out of the Comfort Zone The term break out of the comfort zone is used to describe the actions surrounding stepping out of what is familiar and known into new territory. Breaking out could raise confusion, chaos, stress, and feelings of anxiety in individuals.
The confusion can be so unbearable that sometimes people will do everything in their control over the situation. They could unconsciously apply all sorts of tactics and strategies to regain their sense of normalcy and retreat back into the comfort zone.
This can be counterproductive because the ultimate purpose of life is to grow, expand, seek new opportunities, be creative, allow for more into our lives, and become better versions of ourselves. When we choose options to stays within our comfort zone we shut our life to the opportunity which could, in turn, close our hearts, minds, and will.
We miss out on potentialities and possibilities.
Our mindset can also impact and influence our beliefs in breaking out of the comfort zone. If we stay attached to the fixed mindset then breaking out of the comfort zone can be very challenging.
There is a lot of talk and research being done on how beneficial a growth mindset can be. With a growth mindset, we are open to improvement and seek out ways to try out new things that are beyond our current abilities.
Expanding our Comfort Zone Our goal in life should be to progress and move forward. We should strive to become better and express ourselves in the best possible way that we can.
This, in turn, demands that we be willing and ready to expand our comfort zones. This would mean we continuously take steps (baby steps or big steps) to face our fears and insecurities, overcome our habits and find ways to live more expanded lives in alignment with our True Divine Self.
Growing and Changing does not mean we go wild and change for the sake of changing. We must choose wisely and be discerning in our changes. We must grow in self-awareness of ourselves to see what needs to change and how best to go about it.
We seek help and support from those who can see us through the sometimes painful transitional phases of change if we need it. We must live in the knowledge that change can be beneficial and good for us and it can help us live more expanded, meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Just as much as we like and enjoy the idea of stability in our life, we must also be willing and open to see the tremendous value that growth and change can bring. When we begin to expand our comfort zone by stretching ourselves, even if it be a little every day, the benefits are cumulative.
Our attitude and quality of life expand and grow.