the comfort zone it is a mental space that can hold back our development if we resist getting out of it and exploring the unknown. Discover how to expand your safety zone to enhance your well-being and personal development.
In this connection, Enric talks to us about the insecurities that contribute to our resistance to change. A factor that hinders our process of growth and development.
In this video you will find some emotional management tools to face the fear of the unknown.
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Comfort zone: The starting point for change
Do you want to change but your stories repeat themselves? Do you usually do what you feel or what you think you have to do? Are you enduring a harmful situation by not leaving your comfort zone?
If you look at your life trajectory, every improvement and every achievement has involved making changes that were initially uncomfortable.
Sometimes there are circumstances in which we are forced to change. But, other times, if we want to transform a situation that does not benefit us, we cannot wait for others to change or for life to “push” us.
We must be the ones who generate this disruption and make the decision to get out of our “comfort”. Where to start?
What is the comfort zone?
the comfort zone is our current situation, what we know and what we are used to, be it beneficial or harmful. It includes our habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Therefore, we are not referring to a physical space or to specific circumstances, but to a mind space. It consists of telling us stories that justify us continuing to maintain a super uncomfortable situation, even for many years.
And we make it through explanations, pretexts and excuses, blaming other people or external factors. Sometimes we can get stuck in these situations for too long doing nothing, waiting for something to happen to make things better.
Nevertheless, All change must start with oneself. specifically for : our way of thinking, feeling and responding to what happens to us.
If we don’t review our inner workings, how we perceive the world, conditioning, limitations and strengths, we will continue in our comfort zone.
In this “mental space” we live repeating the same stories over and over again. Complaining and playing a that does nothing but hinder change and our development process.
What does it mean to get out of the comfort zone?
When we allow ourselves to question ourselves, to explore beyond what we know about ourselves, we enter into a space that contains infinite possibilities.
We can say that it is a learning zonewhere we acquire new knowledge, grow and evolve.
Coming into contact with the unknown implies encountering difficulties that help us to and develop our capabilities. Thus, problems and difficulties awaken and virtues.
“Those who have not faced adversity do not know their own strength.”
– Benjamin Johnson.
Sometimes the unknown comes in the form of great challenges. We enter what is called the panic zoneand we face challenges that we don’t know if we can overcome or not.
If we resist getting out of our mental structures, this can be forced and painful learning. On the other hand, if we allow change internally through the experiences presented to usit can become an excellent opportunity to .
What does it depend on? From our attitude to difficulties and challenges. Do we blame others, the external, or do we take responsibility? Do we perceive stress as an obstacle, or as a motivating impulse?
There may be fear of losing what we have or fear of losing who we are, but in this area there are opportunities to develop ourselves more than in any other, so it is worth it. and take a risk.
Keep the balance
When we want to change an unfavorable situation and move towards our dreams and goals, doubts and tensions arise. The emotional tension against creative tension. The first slows us down and the second drives us forward.
Maintain the balance between the two It allows us to go through any process of change in a coherent and empowering way.
For example, we can have an emotional tension when we suffer a internal inconsistency: “I would love to travel by plane but I feel that it is not safe to fly”. On the other hand, creative tension leads us to imagine the destination to which we will travel and the experiences that await us, prompting us to take the step and seize opportunities.
We can go from emotional to creative tension when we are aware of our own difficultiesbut still we use them to grow. To find new solutions, instead of using them as not to move
fear and motivation
Not knowing what can happen when we make changes, internal and external, causes a fear that . Faced with the unknown, our ego frightens us.considering a series of possible negative events that could occur.
If we don’t feel comfortable in an unknown situation, we experience fear of For example, not feeling good at work and settling, waiting for things to change or for an opportunity to appear. Waiting for my partner to change, putting up with a treatment that hurts me. Etc.
“If you really want to do something, you find a way.
If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
–Jim Rohn
Fear is unavoidable It can be good to make us more prudent and cautious, but it can also slow us down and make us miss opportunities.
Far from being a bad thing, it is natural to feel it on certain occasions and it is possible to use it to our advantage. In any case it is necessary .
In fact, the same challenge that scares us, can awaken motivation, encouraging us to persevere and trust in our growth process. This is so because this emotion connects us with our desires.
What frightens us guides us towards the challenges we have to face, it is part of our evolution process. It moves us out of our comfort zone and invites us to go beyond the limits we think we have..
Renewed or die?
In nature change is necessary for growth and sometimes even for life.
For example, the ecdysis It is the skin change of some reptiles and amphibians. In snakes it is a sign of good health and can be given every month. Molting change is a complicated process, which includes fasting and loneliness. The result is a new, clean skin, free of parasites, old scales and the healing of possible previous injuries.
In the case of deer, the demogu, which is the annual antler drop. In this period the males they lose their “defenses” and seek refuge. When the process is over, they already have strong antlers to survive the mating season and beat other males.
These processes also occur symbolically in our lives.. C.When our beliefs, patterns of behavior and thought no longer serve us, they remain “small” and prevent us from renewing and growing.
That “skin” that constrains us, those tools that no longer serve us, constitute the comfort zone, the known. Renewing ourselves implies getting out of there, but how can we do it?
How to get out of the comfort zone?
Expand the comfort zone
Although we often use the expression “get out of comfort zone”, actually what we do is expand it.
Each experience transforms us, expands our consciousnessIt allows us to acquire new knowledge and develop our abilities. This makes us feel comfortable in more situations and contexts, thus expanding our comfort zone.
For example, a trucker who does not want to travel internationally because he only speaks Spanish. One day, after the insistence of his boss to accept other routes, he begins to study French. At first, traveling is difficult for him, but after a while he feels at home.
“The mind that opens to a new idea will never return to its original size”
Albert Einstein
Or, for example, a person who does not feel comfortable saying “no” and has decided to be more assertive and prioritize their well-being. She will feel very uncomfortable when she begins to deny the demands of her environment. However, with time and experience, she will integrate this form of assertiveness as part of her personality.
demystify stability
Many people spend their lives searching stability, security and tranquility but life is unpredictable and is in constant motion. Believing in the possibility of reaching them and settling down definitively is an illusion that causes frustration and leads to
The mind needs stimulation and exercise. Performing the same activities daily does not favor their growth or maintenance. Skills, memory, speed are lost and boredom and apathy are generated.
Therefore, setting ourselves new challenges, visiting unknown places, meeting new people or simply changing a habit are resources for expand our comfort zone and keep our mind in top shape.
“True self-discovery begins where your comfort zone ends.”
Adam Brown.
You don’t need to make big changes. In principle, it is enough to start with small challenges and proposals. A new life begins by making different decisions.
Overcome internal resistance
Sometimes, despite not being satisfied with our life and wanting to change, it is difficult for us and we do not understand why. When this happens, we must to identify the unconscious resistances that are preventing us from transforming our circumstances.
The illusion of separation
At the base of all resistances lies the belief in separation.
Thinking that what happens abroad has nothing to do with us, that we do not influence the events we experience or that they are not our responsibility, prevents us from taking control of our lives.
This happens when in others the part of ourselves that we rejectwhen we blame our problems on others or when we oppose perspectives that are opposite to ours.
“I wanted to change the world. But I have discovered that
The only thing that one can be sure of changing is oneself.”
aldous huxley
Nevertheless, It implies understanding that, in reality, the origin of our problems comes from within us and from how we perceive the world
evade responsibility
Everything we experience is our responsibility, both what we consider “good” and what seems “bad” to us. When a situation hurts us, waiting for others to change or for external changes to occur keeps us in a victim position.
It is our resistance to internal change that causes us suffering.. Putting ourselves in a position where we can’t do anything…