The Comfort Zone – A Nice place to visit, but you don’t want to live there

Let’s face it. The world has gone crazy. The past several years have pushed the envelope in ways that make us wonder if the word ‘normal’ is obsolete! And when life demands constant adaptation, our Comfort Zone provides a safe place to retreat and regroup. When we feel overwhelmed, it is a relief to be able to rely on old habits that seem to yield the predictability we crave. Ahhhhh…..But there is a downside to limiting our challenges and new experiences. It is very important that we continually monitor the landscape of our comfort zone – it can become a slippery slope into a rut that becomes narrower and narrower.

There are many facets of wellness that benefit from intentionally stepping out of our comfort zone. When we survive a difficult time, it builds resilience for the next challenge. When we eat new and varied foods, we get more essential nutrients and our microbiome thrives. Intellectually, dementia and neurodegenerative disorders can be prevented or stalled by regularly learning new skills. Fitness and balance are improved as muscle mass is enhanced by the process of breaking down and rebuilding. And socially, our circles grow when we are willing to meet new people.

When you feel anxious about trying something new, or dealing with a challenge that you aren’t prepared for, I encourage you to think about past experiences that worked out after they seemed scary. Have you ever ended up loving a food you thought you would hate? Have you met a good friend somewhere you didn’t want to be? Have you ever nailed a yoga pose that looked too hard? How many times did something great come from something that seemed undesirable?

In our bodies, the same chemicals are activated when we are excited as when we are scared or anxious. Think back on the times when you’ve felt butterflies in the stomach and elevated heart rate and flushing. Were you mad? Or were you about to have your first kiss? The physical symptoms are the same, and they are temporary. If you feel these feelings when you’re about to take on something new, remember the positive times when you’ve had the same feelings!

Let’s challenge ourselves to take on something new, something ‘hard’, something outside of our comfort zone more frequently. Run a few sprints on your next walk. Try some sauerkraut with your next pork tenderloin. Join a workshop, Take a class. Push through the discomfort and relish in the reward! Next time, it will be easier!