Ways to Get Out of Our Comfort Zone

Getting out of our comfort zone helps us to grow and there are plenty of ways we can put ourselves out there! By doing things we would normally not do, we begin to change old habits and start creating the life we really want to live.

Experiment with different forms of exercise

Okay so using a hula hoop might be a push but trying something like yoga or online training isn’t. Sometimes the hardest thing about doing exercise is just that, doing it! Quite often the words ‘I’ll start that tomorrow’ or ‘I’ll wait until Monday to start ….’ but then those times come and we haven’t done anything.

The trick is to pick something and just give it a try. For me, yoga was something I’d done sporadically over the years but not the type I’m doing now. My yoga studio is around the corner from where I live so I bought a pass and started going. It was the best thing I’ve done because not only do I improve muscle tone etc… the classes focus a lot on restorative practices, meditation, and I’ve got to meet a bunch of really cool people.

I was REALLY out of my comfort zone to begin with, but now it’s second nature to rock up to class. If we put ourselves into new situations, it’s easy to make them a habit – a habit we want to continue.

Try new foods we wouldn’t normally eat

One way to step outside ‘the comfort zone of comfort foods’ is to start trying different things. We get into repetitive patterns of behaviour where we don’t like to slip out of them and into new things.

Food is a great way to experience something new. Obviously, if you have Coeliac Disease like me, you have to watch everything you eat due to gluten, but there are always fresh fruits and vegetables that can be tried.

When we branch out in our food and drink choices, we gain just that little bit more knowledge. I know eating a variety of different foods has helped me learn what I need to eat for my health in terms of essential vitamins and minerals. Eating for my gut health is also really important to me as I know a diverse gut microbiome is associated with better health.

Choose to watch ‘real’ content

You may be thinking what does watching ‘real’ content have to do with stepping outside my comfort zone?!? It has a lot to do with it. Again, we get into patterns of behaviour like watching reality TV or fictional shows, but these don’t really help us to grow. The more ‘real’ content we engage with, the more we learn.

I used to only stick with a certain genre of documentaries but have expanded that to a wide variety of content now. This expanded exposure has helped me gain (and still does) different perspectives on things I never thought I’d be watching. I’ve always been very open-minded, so engaging in watching ‘other’ sorts of content was easy if I watched it with an ‘open mind’. This is how we can grow – by learning stuff that’s ‘DIFFERENT’.

Connect with a variety of different people

Too often we mix in the same circles of family and friends which doesn’t allow for us to get to know different people. This ‘narrow’ social system keeps us comfortably in our social comfort zone. Step outside this social system, and we open ourselves up to a bunch of new people, their stories, their beliefs, their interests. Once we get talking to new people we actually realise that we are all pretty much the same. All trying to have a good life, do the best we can, and enjoy ourselves.

One of the biggest issues (I think) facing our society today, is that we have been led to believe that we’re all separate and we need to ‘fight’ or ‘protect’ what’s ours etc… When we connect with the people around us in our community, no one wants that! It’s just what’s portrayed through mainstream media. I would say the vast majority of people I’ve met just want to have a peaceful, productive, fulfilling life. Not a life full of struggle.

I know what I believe, connection with others in our community and beyond is essential. It may feel awkward stepping outside the comfort zone at first talking to new people, but it’s one of the keys to positive change.

Challenge our belief system

A belief system is just a set of beliefs that we’ve probably held since we were really young, to do with which direction we should be going in. Again, these are patterns of behaviour but in thinking terms. They’re usually around what we think we should be doing for a job, how we are educated, how we should be living etc… I guess you could say most of our ‘beliefs’ are trying to fit in with the so-called ‘societal norm’ of what we’ve grown up with.

But if we step outside our comfort zone by challenging these beliefs, we can start to develop new beliefs. These beliefs help us to grow because they can challenge who we really are, what we really want to be doing, and how we go about achieving these things. If we want to change our lives, starting with our belief system is a good place to start pushing the boundaries of our comfort zone.

The societal norm is pretty boring when you think about it. Why would we all want to be the same anyway! Life is about diversity and that’s what makes us human.

If we want to move out of our comfort zone, we can start by challenging some of the ‘ingrained’ beliefs we have. And then do something different. Different from what we would have done previously.

Related Post:

Changing Limiting Beliefs

Go exploring

Whether it’s just taking a walk in a new area, to going camping off-grid, exploring new places puts us out of our comfort zone. It gives our brain and body something to keep up with. The brain gets really used to just doing the same thing over and over again so when we go somewhere different, the brain and body have to keep up with this new information.

Scootering around new areas provides me with a chance to really get my brain thinking. A constantly changing landscape not only helps me with spatial awareness, but I also need to be consistently observant of my surroundings for things like cars, potholes, puddles etc… I have to think on my toes (or wheels you could say) and my body has to keep up with that.

Commit & push ourselves to do stuff

If we don’t book it in, we don’t do it! The easiest way to push ourselves out of our comfort zone is to book shi* in! Knock down any barriers that may stop us from doing challenging stuff. We are the only things standing in our way! If it’s booked, we have to either turn up or cancel. It’s much easier to just go rather than cancel.

This is really evident for exercising. Once we commit to something, it’s harder to pull out. Committing also helps us keep on top of our health and well-being as scheduling in activities that promote our health, helps us keep to a good fitness schedule.

If we want change, we have to push the limits of our comfort zone and then push them again.

Get ‘socially’ out of our comfort zone & expand our circle

Everyone feels awkward from time to time, but I think people with ADHD, ASD etc… get more ‘social anxiety’ than the general public. That’s just based on my own experience and of those I’ve taught over the years. But either way, a good way to get outside of our comfort zone is to talk to other people.

Whether it’s starting a conversation with a complete stranger, or just asking someone we know about their day, connecting with others is integral to our well-being. It helps break down barriers and quite often we have more in common than we might’ve thought.

Learn to be on our own even if it’s confronting

We live in a world that no longer allows us to be alone. This is due to technology. But it’s a double-edged sword because it’s great for connection but not great for personal growth. That pocket computer that we all have now, is a great little entertainer that helps us escape ourselves. Why be alone if we have something to constantly distract us from what we’re actually feeling?

Our phone is just another form of ‘escapism’ that can prevent us from dealing with any uncomfortable feelings we may be experiencing. It takes more strength to be in control of our devices than we may think. Learn to get comfortable without it and see how it makes you feel. It’s why I always have my phone on ‘do not disturb’ and why all notifications are turned off. I’m in control of it, not the other way round.

By taking time to be on our own, we get the opportunity to really start to know ourselves. From this we can work out what our strengths and weaknesses are and then use these for personal growth both physically and mentally. Being on our own without distraction can be confronting but it can help us learn to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable..

Our own comfort zone is just that, stagnant and comforting. It’s a safe little bubble that we get used to. Sometimes that bubble needs to be popped and the only way to do it…. is to just do it!

Challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone!

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