Today, we’re diving deep into the thrilling world of breaking out of your comfort zone. Trust me, I’ve been there, and I can’t wait to share all the juicy details with you.
Picture this: you’re standing on the edge of a cliff or at the edge of a diving board ready to jump into the water, your heart pounding, breaths are getting faster and the exhilarating feeling of freedom rushing through your veins.
That’s what breaking out of your comfort zone feels like. It’s an adventure waiting to unfold, and today, I’m here to guide you through it.
But first, let me share a personal story.
For a while now I’ve been wanting to do a podcast, to share my knowledge and experiences over the years, but I always talked my self out of it,
‘Nobody will listen’, ‘What the hell do I talk about?’ ‘What if I say is wrong and someone tells me that?’
All these thoughts went on and and I just kept giving into them.
Until I didn’t.
I set my podcast up, recorded the first episode, just as I was about to publish episode one all those thoughts and feeling came back to me, i got that rush of anxiety like I was on the edge of that cliff, I hesitated but pressed publish anyway. The feeling of relief and accomplishment that followed was incredible, from feeling the fear of stepping out of my comfort zone.
I know how great it felt and that’s the feeling I want to help you find.
What is your comfort zone??
I like to think of it as your routine, the day to day things you do without really stopping to think about doing. You feel like you’re on autopilot. It’s here that you get stuck, nothings really going wrong and things look ok from the outside.
But then when you set yourself a goal you can’t understand why you don’t do the things you say you are going to do…here’s why…
You’ve given into your comfort zone too many times,
Here’s a thought of breaking out of your comfort zone – I am going to do some exercise today
Here’s the trap of the comfort zone – I don’t have time, there’s too much to do, it’s too late now.
Your comfort zone is your mind and body happy place it doesn’t want to leave so every time you try to it pulls you back by inserting these beliefs in your head.
Imagine its like an elastic band the more you stretch the more it wants to go back to its original shape, however if you stretch it bit by bit over time the elastic band gives in and just gets bigger!
So how do you break out of your comfort zone?
Stop listening to comfy self! You have to start challenging those thoughts and that inner chatter.
But remember the longer you have let this go on the more powerful it is, you are going to need discipline and effort to step outside of your comfort zone now, but just accepting that it is going to be hard is half the battle.
Before we get into the nitty gritty tips and tricks here’s what it feels like on outside of your comfort zone….
First, you develop a growth mindset.
If you haven’t heard of this here’s a super quick break down, theres fixed and growth mindset and a fixed mindset limits us by believing we are who we are and there’s no room for change or improvement.
A growth mindset on the other hand recognises your potential for growth and see’s obstacles as something to learn from rather that a failure.
By breaking out of your comfort zone you are showing more of a growth mindset and this will carry over into all areas of your life!
Second, building resilience and anti-fragility.
Life isn’t predictable, and sooner or later, we all face adversity.
Breaking out of your comfort zone equips you to handle change, leading to resilience. Taking that onestep further is becoming anti-fragile, this essentially means that rather than jus bouncing back from challenges/changes you grow from them, you take a step forward because of the challenge rather than a step backwards.
And third, You start believing in yourself and develop self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy is the belief in your ability to take necessary actions to achieve goals. The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more you believe you can do.
The success you experience with then fuel further steps outside your comfort zone and the snowball effect begins!
Once you have developed these ‘mindsets’ can you see how your life becomes more positives, you becoming happier, healthier and unlock your true potential.
Now for the good stuff I’m going to share with you some mindset shifts that help you start breaking out of your comfort zone and then some actionable tips to help you foster and build those mindsets!
The first mindset shift is the having the ability to reframe stress.
Stress is always seen as a bad thing, ‘Im so stressed’ ‘My stress levels are high I need a break’ etc.
What if I told you stress is actually what helps us grow.
Just like lifting weights in the gym, you put your body under stress and it grows to adapt. So can your mind, once you start looking at stress as a fuel for growth you can truly make some AMAZING changes!
The next one I want to share is building the belief that failure is a step forward not backward.
You’ve done the hard part in just starting whatever journey you are no, you should be proud that you managed to fail at something! If you would never have started you never would have failed and now you get the opportunity to look at that failure and course correct, learn what went wrong and how you can change things to keep pushing forward!
You don’t have to change everything at once!!!
So many people try and do a complete overhaul of their lives from the get go, while this is exciting and results happen quickly you also burnout quickly and that pull from your comfort zone becomes even stronger, think of that elastic band again, the more you stretch it the more it wants to bounce back. If you stretch it over time little by little the elastic starts to give and it the band, or your comfort zone becomes bigger!
So, lets have a look at some practical ways to break out of your comfort zone ,
Number one:
Do everyday things differently. Challenge yourself by breaking old, comfortable routines. Turn off your smartphone and television while having dinner, and engage in the food you’re eating and the company you are in.
or simply slow down on your commute to work, turn the music/radio off and just pay more attention to the sights and sounds around you, shake up that feeling of being on autopilot!
Number two:
Learn new skills. Unlock your creative side by learning something new. It could be playing an instrument, taking up painting, or exploring a new language. This expands your perspective and allows you to face challenges in a different, more creative way.
Number three:
Challenge your current diet. Many of us want to eat healthier and feel better. Can you add more fruit and veg to your day or increase the amount of protein you’re eating, gradually building your confidence and belief in your self!
Number four:
Workout hard. Push the limits in your workouts lift heavier, run faster set yourself a target and push yourself to get to it. If you’re not exercising, start! Pushing your body out of your comfort zone also helps you develop the belief that you you can push yourself in other areas of your life too!
And finally, number five:
Challenge your beliefs. Just because you believe something doesn’t mean it’s right. Get curious about your beliefs, explore different perspectives, and be open to change. It’s through this process that you’ll grow and break free from limiting beliefs.
So, here’s the takeaway: every person faces a choice—settling for what you know, or daring to explore the unknown. Stepping outside your comfort zone unlocks your true potential and leads to extraordinary growth. It’s where disappointments are curbed, regrets are avoided, and your highest human potential is reached.
Remember, breaking out of your comfort zone won’t happen overnight. But with each step, each challenge you conquer, you’ll feel unstoppable. So embrace the unknown, challenge your normal, and discover what you’re truly capable of!