How to get out of your comfort zone? 7 keys to achieve it

Broadly speaking, the comfort zone It is a state of mind that does not allow personal growth and all those phenomena related to the learning of behaviors that make us achieve a high degree of satisfaction with the way in which life is lived.

Although this comfort zone It may seem pleasant (since it allows us to always continue with the "automatic pilot" on), it is not a sufficiently stimulating place and in the long run not getting out of it can make we feel empty and falls into apathy or certain behavior dynamics related to depression.

Between you and me... what is it that keeps you anchored there? Sure you have wanted to step forward, be brave and take over the world, but you have not. You may be suffering but you are not lifting a finger because you are in your comfort zone. If you are afraid and anxious to leave the past to fight for what you have always dreamed of, do not be so hard on yourself and get out of your comfort zone. You will see that a new and exciting world awaits you!

Reasons why you should get out of your comfort zone

Want more reasons to ditch the gray routine and go out there chasing your dreams? Here I leave you six reasons why you should consider leaving your comfort zone.

1. It will make you stronger as a person

Stepping out of your comfort zone may scare you or produce anxiety, but face fear and you will see that it was not so bad. Feeling insecure is something natural and it even warns us that the road will not be easy. But when the afraid It immobilizes you, then it becomes a problem that will not let you develop your true potential. Start by acknowledging that the uncertain future scares you, but adopt a positive mindset about it.

Allow yourself to fall from time to time and see it as another part of growing as a person. If you step out of the comfort zone and enjoy learning, in time you will be able to look back and feel proud of yourself. Your personal development starts here, so think about what motivates you, isn't it really worth taking a little step forward and fighting for your dreams?

2. It will make you more creative

Get out of the comfort zone stimulates creativity by knowing new possibilities and breaking with what is routine. A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology (2012) showed that students who spent a semester were from their country had higher scores on two creativity tests than those subjects who had not studied outside.

On the other hand, another study revealed that the personality trait of “openness to experience”, one of the Big 5, is the best predictor of creative achievement. This personality trait is characteristic of individuals who tend to take risks, challenge themselves, or constantly try new things.

3. It will allow you to gain self-confidence

Leaving your comfort zone and taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals will have positive effects on your beliefs about self-efficacy (or self-confidence), that is, in the perception you have about whether you will be able to achieve your goals. This concept was introduced by the Canadian Albert bandura, one of the most recognized psychologists and who developed the Social Learning Theory: which explains the regulation of motivation and human action.

Therefore, get out of the comfort zone and put yourself to the test It will make you see with your own eyes that you master certain skills that will allow you to get out of situations that may seem complicated a priori. A perception of positive self-efficacy is associated with positive thoughts and aspirations about successful behavior, less stress, anxiety and perception of threat, together with adequate planning of the course of action and anticipation of good results.

4. It will help you to continue with your personal development

As young people we are more likely to take risks, but as we get older we learn to fear failure, being able to reach the learned helplessness and to the paralysis (Do you know the "paralysis of analysis"?). This can be a serious emotional cost if we do not change our way of thinking, as it can be an impediment to continue with our transformation towards greater well-being.

In his book "Self-Renewal", writer John Gardner states: * "We pay a very high price for our failures and it is a huge obstacle to our growth. This causes our personality to not develop and does not allow exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty. If you want to continue growing, you must overcome the fear of failure ".

5. You will meet new people and live new rewarding experiences

Get out of the comfort zone allows you to have new experiences, do activities that were not on your agenda and meet new people. This will allow you to have a more pleasant life and it will allow you to make new friendships. You may even meet the love of your life for stepping out of your comfort zone.

6. New challenges can make you age better

A study carried out in 2013 found that learning new skills while maintaining a strong social network helps us retain good mental acuity as we age.

Study director Denise Park, a researcher at the University of Texas in the United States, concluded: “It seems that going out to do activities is not enough. It's important to get out there and do activities that are unfamiliar and mentally challenging, as they provide great mental and social stimulation. When you are within the comfort zone it is possible that you are outside the improvement zone ”.

Some recommendations to achieve it

Of course, it is very easy to say but much more complicated to do. However, and although leaving the comfort zone is complicated by the very definition of this concept, it is not an impossible mission. If you need some help or clues to get out of your comfort zone, you can follow these behavior guidelines.

1. Challenge yourself and perform at your best

Leaving the comfort zone is an important aspect of personal growth, as it is It is not possible to think that we will get to the place we want to get doing what is just and necessary and being immersed in the same routine as always.

Reaching new heights involves the risk of doing things that we are not so good at or that cause us some fear or insecurity (at least at first). According A study carried out by a group of psychologists, a little anxiety can be positive to improve our performance and allows us to continue growing professionally. Therefore, turn those situations that cause you anxiety into stimulating situations and that nobody stops you. Don't call it nervous or insecure, call it "excitement."

2. Think about your style of doing things... and acts in the opposite direction

Look for situations that may force you to step out of your comfort zone. Experiment with dance styles that you would never associate with the way you are, get involved in creative projects that force you to think differently, to experience challenging contexts to adapt to. If you intend to manage these changes, and they are not excessively extreme, this will make you become more flexible and better accept variability and changes.

3. Look for material changes in the things around you

To do new things that you are not used to, nothing like exposing yourself to new environments. Physically novel, literally. The key is to propose the objective of exposing yourself to novel situations by making the spaces in which you find yourself different.

Go ahead and change the way you dress or the decoration of your house, move around different environments and, of course, travel as much as you can or even go live somewhere else, even for a time. This will have an effect on you similar to the previous tip, only in this case, instead of vary the situations whose meaning you would not associate with your person, you will do the same with spaces physical.

4. Anticipate all the excuses that you are going to make

Be aware that when you set goals that are uncomfortable for you within your comfort zone, unconsciously you are going to be looking for a lot of excuses not to do it. Judge these excuses for what they are: inventions whose sole purpose is to rationalize the acceptance of comfort.

5. Expose yourself more to meeting new people

Don't you like talking to people? Force yourself to do it, even if your body doesn't ask you to. It is not necessary that the dialogue be perfect, nor that people take the best image of you. Acting naturally everything will flow as it should, and it will be fun to see how easily interactions with others can work if you do not think very well what you are saying.

6. Make your friends and family cooperate

If the people in your immediate environment know that you want to get out of your comfort zone, they will help you to achieve it and perhaps prepare a "surprise" for you. In the same way, when you take the initiative and undertake new and exciting projects, they will support you and probably show you signs of support or admiration, which will serve as a reinforcement.

7. Give your spiritual side a chance

Do you know the benefits of meditation Or the Mindfulness philosophy? There are habits that improve our state of mind and free us from many beliefs that anchor us in our comfort zone. Develop a spiritual me andIt is one of the most practical ways to achieve emotional well-being capable of ending routine life. You can start by reading this compilation of Buddhist phrases, maybe they inspire you.

Bibliographic references:

• Cajina Heinzkill, G. (2013). Break out of your comfort zone: 52 proposals to take control of your life. Oniro editions.
• Hemmi, M. (2013). Do you dare to dream?: Put an expiration date on your dream and get out of your comfort zone. Paidós Editions.