20 Ways To Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

What Is the Comfort Zone?

A comfort zone is a set of familiar behaviors and actions including your daily habits and activities that result in lower levels of stress and anxiety without taking risks. People who are described as "living in their comfort zone" take small risks and get only small rewards.

What Should You Expect When Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone?

You may think that there are only two options. That is, you can either be in or out of your comfort zone. However, this wonderful and spooky concept carries with it much more than that. So here's what you should know about the four stages of getting out of your comfort zone and into your growth zone:

1. Comfort Zone

It is a state where you feel safe and in control because you are familiar with it and know what to expect. For example, you eat the same breakfast every morning and refuse to eat any other food because it is different.

2. Fear Zone

This is the second stage in which you start to feel fear and anxiety and you may encounter some obstacles when trying to leave and enter your comfort zone, such as making excuses, lack of self-confidence, and trying to convince yourself to stay in your comfort zone. For example, perhaps you know that oat milk will be a nutritious alternative to cow's milk for breakfast, but you've never tried it, and it scares you.

3. Learning Zone

The learning zone is the cure for the fear zone, as here is where you get to know the new endeavor you are about to undertake, and you acquire new skills to overcome the challenge. For example, you may discover that the benefits of oat milk outweigh the benefits of the milk you used to drink.

4. Growth Zone

Here you can apply what you have learned, as Growth Zone is where you learn to set new goals and work towards them. No matter how successful you are, what matters is that you realize your strengths and invest in them to get new results. For example, suppose you replace cow's milk with oat milk for your next breakfast, and whether you like it or not, you will have tried it and developed your skills in choosing and trying new foods.

20 Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Here are 20 things you can do right now if you want to get out of your comfort zone:

1. Make a List of Things You Find Uncomfortable

What are the things that make you feel uncomfortable? Maybe taking a cold shower, getting up early for a run, riding a bike instead of a car, or calling your mom on the phone. Listing things outside your comfort zone is a great way to find something to do.

Action

Create a list and write down 10-20 things you can do on any given day that make you feel uncomfortable, and choose a few to do every day.

2. Record a Video of Yourself

Being in front of a camera can be a nightmare for an introvert, but it can help you boost your confidence. The secret is to do something you enjoy so much that you forget the camera is there. It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but your skills will improve as you stick to it.

Action

Record a video of yourself talking whether it's a workout at the gym, part of your daily routine at work, or just a fun hobby.

3. Ask Deep Questions

Regularly having deep and frank conversations about different topics is an easy technique that can yield exciting results, and knowing how to ask good questions is also an essential skill that can be used to find out what you fear and expand your knowledge.

Action

Ask deep questions the next time you want to get to know someone.

4. Talk to a Stranger

When you have a conversation with a stranger, you will enter the fear zone and the learning zone together, and the conversation may end with forming a strong relationship or learning something new.

Action

Talk to a stranger and compliment them on their clothes or something they carry with them like a piece of jewelry or something else, as people like to talk about their interests.

5. Start with Small Steps

Change your usual behavior a little bit. For example, if you always eat alone at your desk instead of eating with your colleagues, try moving to a table in a restaurant and eating alone, and if you are comfortable enough, invite your colleagues to sit with you and chat during lunch.

Action

Find that little thing you can do to make a big difference and get out of your comfort zone.

6. Have New Experiences

You might have a friend who excitedly says, "Let's try this new restaurant," or "Let's go for a wilderness trip." You may not like the idea of trying new food and you may be a little afraid to leave town, but saying "yes" will help you get out of your comfort zone.

Action

Try to agree to 3 things a day that are outside your comfort zone. They can even be quick things you want to do to improve yourself, like reading a few pages of your favorite book or meditating for ten minutes.

7. Learn a New Skill

You will enter the learning zone by trying something new, so try to learn a new skill that you did not plan to do before.

8. Open the Door to Surprise

Reducing your control over the details in your life can be a great way to get out of your comfort zone because when you don't try to control everything, you create opportunities for the element of surprise and situations that require you to adapt to unexpected events. After doing this, you will feel that you are able to deal with sudden situations better, and your comfort zone will expand in the future.

Action

Pick a random destination for your next vacation, go out with a friend to a casual restaurant, or find a new local gym. Just be flexible.

9. Exercise In a New and Fun Way

This technique takes you out of your comfort zone mentally and physically, as your nervous flexibility will increase when you try a different exercise than usual, which gives you the ability to face new challenges and learn how to deal with different situations.

Action

Learn new ways of exercising.

10. View Stress In a Positive Light

Feeling anxious and stressed about stepping out of your comfort zone can be a real drag, so why do not you change the way you think about it?

Action

Next time you feel negative about doing something new, try removing the "good" or "bad" label and just use the feeling as motivation to engage in a great new activity.

11. Treat Rejection

Most of us feel intimidated and don't try anything new to avoid "rejection," but failure itself can be a golden opportunity.

Action

Deliberately try to ask for things you know in advance that they will be rejected, and start on a small level, such as asking someone for money.

12. Public Speaking

77% of people suffer from a fear of public speaking. Therefore, to overcome your fears, try to do it deliberately. Over time, public speaking will reduce your fear and increase your neuroplasticity, which will benefit you in other aspects of life.

Action

There are many forms of public speaking, so try joining theater, participating in local events, or giving a speech to a group of friends.

13. Start a Creative Activity

Being creative can be one of the most fun and rewarding mental activities you can do because creativity means entering the world of the unknown and learning in a new environment.

Action

Try some creative challenges like drawing.

14. Reward Yourself

One of the best ways to ensure that you keep track of what you do is to reward yourself for every task you do.

Action

After you've completed an uncomfortable task, reward yourself with one of the things you love to do, for example, riding a bike, watching a TV show, talking to your best friend, or taking a nap, as rewarding yourself is an excellent idea to boost motivation to try something new.

15. Read a Random Book

Reading books on topics you weren't familiar with can broaden your perspective and prompt you to think in new ways.

Action

Choose from your local library or on the Internet a topic you don't know much about. For example, if you are a history buff, choose a novel, and if you are interested in computer programming, read about graphic design. However, you can choose in a less random way. For example, if you like reading about Western cuisine, read about Eastern cuisine.

16. Be Positive Online

If you are an introvert, you will love the internet because it allows you to remain anonymous, as expressing your thoughts online is a great way to boost your self-confidence without worrying about the consequences like in the real world.

Action

Join your favorite forum or chat room and share your thoughts by downloading an app like Clubhouse, or join the Reddit community.

17. Change Your Diet

One study shows that certain types of foods we eat, such as whole rice, vegetables, spices, and even salmon, can improve our thinking and mental abilities.

Action

Try some new and healthy foods.

18. Flattery

It can be difficult to compliment others, especially when we are not used to it, but a well-chosen compliment can lift the mood when given at the right time.

Action

Offer a sincere compliment to a colleague or relative.

19. Make Things Easier for Yourself

When trying something new you may think you should give it your all or not try at all. However, this is not the case at all, so make things as easy as possible for yourself. For example, if you are learning to drive, you should not start directly on the highway. Instead, you can practice on a slower and less crowded road until you feel comfortable and develop your skills.

Action

Take a look at the tasks on your list and replace them with the easiest things you can do to reach your growth zone over time.

20. Finding a Community

Whether you want to play a team sport, change your diet to be healthier, quit something, or start something new, there is a community out there that will help you with support, so surround yourself with people who encourage and motivate you as you take on these new challenges.

Action

Find a group where you feel welcome. For example, try online groups like Facebook to find a community that works for you.

Getting Out of the Comfort Zone Benefits

There are pros and cons to staying in your comfort zone:

1. the Pros of Getting Out of the Comfort Zone

Increase Self-Confidence

Participating in activities every day improves your skills. When you build on your previous experience in performing a task and become better at it, your confidence increases.

Risk Minimization

Staying in your comfort zone is useful if you want to focus on what you are currently doing without dealing with new stimuli or activities. Routine activities are less risky than unknown activities.

Renewal

After leaving your comfort zone to try something new, going back to the familiar can help you recharge both physically and psychologically to face more stressful situations, and this is especially true for introverts who love spending time alone.

2. the Cons of Getting Out of the Comfort Zone

Limitation of New Skills

By staying in your comfort zone, you may miss out on the opportunity to develop new skills and the opportunity to improve on your weaknesses.

Lethargy

Not taking on new activities can cause a state of lethargy and you may miss out on growth opportunities due to not taking on new challenges; as a result, you feel bored in life and unmotivated.

There Is No Risk-Free Reward

You will not achieve anything new if you do not try something new because even if the risk is small, it can bring great rewards to those who try it.

In Conclusion

Getting out of your comfort zone gives you new experiences and tools that you can maintain and develop as you move towards your growth zone, and remember that it all starts with just one step.