How to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone: Warrior Mind Podcast #465

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In this episode of the Warrior Mind Podcast I’m going to discuss the importance of and hot to break out of your comfort zone for peak performance and personal success.

Whereas routines could be stable and even comforting, they can also be not only time-confining but also stale. You can never go wrong with the inspirational messages that keep telling you to get out of your comfort zone, in such instances. Besides cushioning you from any burnout, you will appreciate how good this will be for your brain. However, it can be pretty hard to get yourself out of a routine, and there is plenty of science behind that. It also explains how to handle the same.

It is imperative to push the boundaries of your comfort zone, and well, this could be a big deal at times. But what exactly is the “comfort zone”? Why is it that we tend to get comfortable with the familiar and our routines? How comes the glimmer in these routines fades once we find newer and more exciting things? It would also be helpful to understand the benefits that we derive from them besides knowing what it takes. Addressing all these variables could be a daunting task for some people. However, you will learn more as you read with us!

Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone

Your comfort zone is a behavioral space in which all your activities and behaviors match a specific routine. This pattern plays a vital role in minimizing stress and various risks. It also provides a sense of mental security too. For this reason, you will enjoy regular happiness, low anxiety, as well as reduced stress.

The concept of the comfort zone first came up in a classic experiment in psychology. In 1908, two psychologists, Robert M. Yerkes and John D. Dodson, postulated that a state of comparative comfort creates a steady level of performance. For maximum performance, however, we need a state of relative anxiety. That is a state where stress levels are a little higher than usual. This space, also called Optimal Anxiety, is just outside our comfort zone. With too much anxiety, our productivity levels are highly likely to drop, and sharply so.

The idea of optimal anxiety has existed for quite a long time now. Undoubtedly, people will often realize mazing results for as long as they choose to push themselves out of their comfort zone. However, you could end up with adverse effects if you push too hard. This move will also reinforce the feeling that challenging yourself is a bad idea. It is only natural for us to return to a state that is not only comfortable but also free from anxiety. This way, it becomes relatively hard to get your brain out of the comfort one.

Even so, your comfort zone is neither a good nor a bad thing. It is a natural state that most people find appealing. Leaving it results in increased risk and anxiety, which can have both positive and negative results. Regardless it would help if you did not demonize your comfort zone as something that holds you back. We all aspire for that head-space where we are least anxious and stressed. This way, it becomes easier to process the benefits we get when we finally leave it.

Optimal anxiety often assures you of peak mental productivity and performance. Many people will, however, still consider increased performance and productivity as a product of working extra. This conclusion comes despite barely understanding the benefits that come with stepping outside of your comfort zone.

You’ll be more productive. You should note that comfort usually kills productivity. With the absence that comes with meeting deadlines and expectations, it is hard for one to do what is essential to get them along. Besides losing the drive as well as an ambition to do more, we can fall into a work trap where we fake busy as a way to stay in our comfort zones. It is by pushing your boundaries that you will hit your stride sooner and even find smarter ways to work.

It will be easier dealing with new and unexpected changes. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, explains that one of the worst things we can do is ignore the existence of fear and uncertainty. Taking risks in a controlled fashion will expose you to that uncertainty in a controlled environment. It will be easier for you to face various challenges in life for as long as you learn how to come out of this comfort zone.

There will be no hurdle in pushing your boundaries later on. By stepping out of your comfort zone, a sense of comfort comes with time. As you step out of your comfort zone, you become attuned to optimal anxiety. Further, productive discomfort becomes more reasonable for you. For this reason, your will to push further to maintain your performance is at the peak.

It will be easier to brainstorm as well as harness creativity. While this could be a soft benefit, it is relatively common knowledge that seeking new experiences, skills, and new ideas inspire us and educate us in various ways. These new things can make us reflect on our old ideas and inspire us to learn more. A positively scratchy experience can help us brainstorm, see longstanding problems in a new light, and tackle the challenges we face with new energies.

You will enjoy so many benefits once you step out of your comfort zone. There is the overall self-improvement you get through the skills you learn, the new foods you try, the new country you visit, and that new job too.

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How to break out of your comfort zone

It is great to be outside your comfort zone for as long as you keep your balances in check.

You should note that there is a difference between controlled anxiety and that which people experience day-to-day. Everyone’s comfort zone bears different characters and effects. Remember, while optimal tension can accentuate your performance, too much of it can be costly.

Here are some ways to break out of your comfort zone:

Do everyday things differently. Take a different route to work or even try a new operating system. This way, you will recalibrate your reality. Whether the change you make is large or small, it will have a meaningful impact down the road. Look for the perspective that comes from any change, even if it’s negative. Do not shy away from things that could put you off.

Take your time making decisions. Often, slowing things down could compromise your comfort. That happens particularly when you hold speed and quick-thinking in high regard. Do not be in a rush to interpret what you see. Only intervene after careful thought.

Trust yourself and make snap decisions. You need to understand that we have people whose strength is in making snap decisions while there re those that take much time to weigh options. Often, snap decisions will be essential in keeping a process smooth. This way, you can kickstart your projects and consider putting your trust in the judgments that you make.

Embrace small steps. It would be best if you dared to break out of the comfort zone. Given that there are shared benefits, whether you start slow or not, do not be afraid of anything. For this reason, you need to identify your fears, and then face them step by step.

We have different ways to stretch personal boundaries. You could learn a new language or skill. Visiting new places is perhaps one of the best ways to broaden your perspectives. However, it doesn’t have to be expensive or challenging to do. While the experiences could be quite disappointing at times, it will not matter much. What matters is, you’re doing it, and you’re about to overcome various mental hurdles.

Given how difficult it can be to try out new things, breaking out of the comfort zone can be an uphill task. It is crucial to understand how habits form and how we can break them. Besides, pressing yourself out of your comfort zone by carrying out specific things will be helpful.

You can’t live outside of your comfort zone all the time. It would help if you came back from time to time to process your experiences. You will hardly appreciate the new and exciting to become commonplace and dull quickly. This concept, hedonistic adaptation, is the usual tendency to be overwhelmed by new things that they become ordinary after a short time. Whereas it could drive us forward, it can also keep us from appreciating the subtle and the everyday.

You can fight this by trying new, smaller things. Diversify the challenges you embrace. This way, you will not push your boundaries in the same direction. For instance, if you have been learning Latin-based languages and get bored, feel free to switch to a language with a completely different set of characters. You still get the challenge, but you broaden your horizons differently.

Don’t fuss it, Take a step after the other

Stepping out of your comfort zone plays a crucial role in giving you new experiences. This way, it gets you to that state of optimal anxiety in a controlled manner. Take time to ponder on your skills so you can reap the benefits and apply them to your daily activities. You will also find it prudent to try something new from time to time.

Ensure that you do not limit yourself to significant experiences only. You could find meditation pushing you out of your comfort zone just as much as bungee jumping. The goal here is to learn what you are capable of. For this reason, it will be valuable to return to your comfort zone from time to time.

Why you should break out of your comfort zone

Whereas you could struggle to get out of the comfort zone, this will be a step towards personal growth. Besides, adjusting to these new situations will come with a myriad of benefits, which include the following.

There is a sense of creativity that comes with being out of the comfort zone. Often, it exposes you to various new possibilities. This way, you are more probable to challenge yourself to newer heights. The move will usually open your mind to exciting activities and even places. Further, it will expose you to more rewarding experiences in the long run. Nothing could be more fulfilling. Besides, it highlights an improved positive mentality. For this reason, it will be valuable to consider finding something that motivates you and keep you glowing.

There is no better way for you to attain self-confidence than through getting out of this one. You will learn that this move has a positive effect on the self-efficacy beliefs that you have. This move will be the surest way to realize a focused mind and make you even stronger. Through this self-confidence and esteem, you are more likely to achieve proficiency and enhanced productivity in the long run.

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