Moving out of our comfort zone can be extremely rewarding if we are able to manage the anxiety that pops up. Humans are creatures of habit and having a steady routine, a safe haven in our home and the people around us that provide love and validation,becomes so important.We fear uncertainty, loss, pain, and so we seek to keep ourselves cooped up in our ‘safety net’ of comfort.
The difficult thing about comfort zones, is that they can at times foster an attitude of learned helplessness making progress harder.
Personal discovery and personal development tend to happen more when we are outside our comfort zone but how often do we actually manage to venture outside it?
The one thing that my coachees always find helpful, is to start off with setting 1 small goal. It is easier to focus on 1 thing at a time if you want to make progress. The goal has to be something that is achievable and a little scary, but not overwhelming. Once you succeed in reaching this initial goal, this will then give you the courage and further motivation to tackle something bigger.
Sometimes, people overstretch themselves by doing too much at once, too quickly.
If someone has never left home, has never gone on a holiday abroad and then suddenly gets offered a job in another country where they don’t even speak the language, then this is an example of something that can be too much.
How do you cope when you have to leave your comfort zone? Have you had any experiences which were overwhelming? I am particularly interested in people who also suffer from anxiety often. How do you tackle this? I would love to hear your experiences.
Love Athina ♥
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Relevant post for me – thank you. “The goal has to be something that is achievable and a little scary, but not overwhelming” – how does one manage if everything is perceived as overwhelming, from the smallest to the greatest? An all consuming fear….. of everything? Hope you don’t mind a question
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I am glad if the post was relevant..When everything is perceived as overwhelming, then this is when the cognitive behavioural side of coaching or therapy can help. You have to first tackle the emotional side (the negative thinking patterns that cause the fear, the anxiety) and then once you manage to reduce the fear a little, you can then tackle the smallest goal first..You can even break down the smallest goal into an even 2 even smaller ones..then you can slowly build on each small success..Baby steps..
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Thanks so much! That makes sense. I will be trying to do that 🙂
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I suffer from anxiety as well as depression. But it is more anxiety than anything at this point, but it is getting better.
I have volunteered somewhere new and where I have to go, it is a new area that I have never travelled to before. From the 5 weeks I have travelled there, it is the last 2 weeks where I have had no anxiety at all. For me, it is persevering and hoping it gets better each week to the week before. Which it has.
Even new situations where I meet people can possibly bring it on, but where I now go to volunteer, this has not happened, but I think this is down to knowing I am with other people who are like me, or that understand, as where I now volunteer is in mental health, so we all have some different experiences of it, while helping others.
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It sounds like you have coped brilliantly with tackling your anxiety. You have managed to push yourself past the anxiety and keep persevering at the things that make you uncomfortable..You have been hopeful and had trust in yourself that you can do it..It is great you volunteer somewhere where people are more understanding towards mental health..Well done!
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Thank you. 🙂
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