Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Like many of you, I have had to jump in and out of my comfort zone, time and time again. It is a state of being that continuously asks a lot from us. Personally, I have come to be quite at ease stepping from comfort, and I know this is a great contributor to my mental health. But there are so many others out there who still struggle to tap into their innate ability because they allow their "what if's" or "might happens" to take over their decisions.
A comfort zone is a place that can hold many people hostage within themselves. Where poor diets are encountered, a lack of career progression exists, and even loneliness and a feeling of purposelessness can be found.
As my blog exists to encourage a more open dialogue around wellbeing and mental health, it is probably worth me sharing why I think your comfort zone is inextricably linked to your mental health.
But to start, let's take weight gain as an example. According to data at Formulate Health, 63% of adults within the UK, are classed as overweight or obese. Which is a large part of our nation who have gotten a bit 'comfortable' in life; myself included.
It is then believed, that overweight adults are 55% more likely to develop depression or a mental health illness? It is also estimated that 1 in 4 adults over sixteen years old, will suffer from a negative mental health problem, or encounter depressive episodes within their lives.
Now, there is no arguing that there will be many reasons why people will find themselves within those statistics. Un-happy relationships, traumatic events, life experiences, differing personalities, lack of career or personal progression, poor health, the list goes on. And not all are linked to a person's comfort zone. But, highlighting the 63% overweight statistic once more, and making it clear that depression is on the rise, a link to a person's comfort zone and where they mentally find themselves in life, must be made.
So let's focus on the comfort zone. When we get comfortable and allow things to slip, it is very easy to find ourselves in unhappy situations that impact our minds. And we aren't just talking about weight gain. Careers, relationships, personal development, and health, all become affected when you can't break the shackles of comfort. And often, it is linked to people having trouble making difficult and bold decisions.
Whether they admit it or not, of the 63% of overweight Brits, I would argue that almost the majority wish they were in better shape or lived a healthier life. Not to just look good. But to ultimately feel good. Which ponders the thought, of why many find themselves as they do if the desire is to get fitter and healthier. Because it involves discomfort.
The comfort zone itself
The comfort zone is the first of four areas that sit within a field of success and fulfilment. The feeling of comfort is often induced by security, control, familiarity and safety. It is also an area threatened by pain and discomfort, and isn't a place many people want to leave, often due to what sits outside it, which is the 'fear zone'.
For many, staying comfortable is a pain-free way of staying in control. But the comfort zone isn't where success and reward come from. That belongs only to the brave.
The fear zone
This is the decision point for either pushing on or turning back. It is a place where people either find excuses and give up, or overcome the doubt and challenge and move onwards. The fear zone is also a place where too many people allow what others may think, to become part of their decision making. I place where imposter syndrome is rife.
"What if I embarrass myself?"
"I'll look stupid if I fail."
"I can't be seen to make a mistake."
The Learning and Growth zones
For the bold, this is the land where people begin to tap into their deeper potential, unlocking positive habits, skills and success. People expand their comfort zone, becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. Goals get achieved. Belief increases. Purpose and fulfilment are gained.
This is the land many want to get to, but fail to reach due to the difficulty of leaving the comfort and overcoming fears. Their purpose and fulfilled life, desires, dreams, and even purpose stay at an unattainable distance, which they will never achieve without removing their mental blockers.
And left to fester, for many, this is what begins to eat away at their mental health.
So let's break free.
Four steps to leaving your comfort zone
Identify the boundaries of your comfort zone
Write down your answers to these questions and delve into your drawbacks.
Think about what is holding you back from a goal(s): write down why haven't you achieved it yet.
Picking out that goal(s) you have put off: ask yourself why you what comforts lay around it that hold you back.
Now ask yourself: why is that goal(s) more difficult than the rest? What has denied you so far? What are you going to do about it?
Get specific about what you are overcoming
What is the pain point or blocker?
What is it that you are scared of?
Why has it held you back and how can you overcome it?
Write down some positive strategies for success and justify to yourself how you can overcome the 'danger' or 'risks' of what you are placing within that fear zone.
Leave your comfort zone slowly
Don't rush. You wouldn't climb Everest without first conquering a hill. Treat leaving your comfort zone as the same. Where people damage their growth mindset is when they take on too much, too soon. Causing a devastating impact on confidence, belief and ambition, resulting in fixed ways of thinking that only hinder their progression.
Moving towards something unfamiliar should be gradual. Be progressive and allow yourself time to adjust to the discomfort.
Adjust your daily routine.
Leaving your comfort zone is a mindset. So change more than just your ambition to achieve a goal. Wake up earlier. Get more exercise. Change the lifestyle. And bolster your social groups with people who support and encourage your endeavours.
Leaving your comfort zone takes courage. So add into your life things that you don't want to do, and you'll quickly see how strong your mindset becomes.
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." --Dale Carnegie
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