DAY 9: COMFORT ZONES: 

Have you ever heard a term so much that it loses all meaning? I feel that way about comfort zones a little bit. Maybe because mine fluctuates from year to year or maybe cuz I’ve read “life begins right outside of your comfort zone” in too many public restrooms, but when I came back to revamp this episode about getting out of your comfort zone - I knew I needed to reevaluate my relationship with the term. 

According to Judith Bardwick,“The comfort zone is a behavioral state within which a person operates in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk.”

So while a comfort zone is both comfortable and safe, it is not a place where much growth can occur. Learning, growing, doing - can be an uncomfortable practice if you are not accustomed to it. So that’s why it’s crucial to understand our personal relationships with our current comfort zone, so we can see where and when it’s been interfering with the (often uncomfortable) learning + growth that is necessary to creating a roomier, and more comfortable comfort zone in the long run. 

If we don’t evaluate where we are now, the starting will feel a hell of a lot harder and scarier when it’s time to step out. Incremental change is WAY easier than major change. Tiny changes now save major upsets later (ahem *looking at you policy makers*) but the sooner we start, the sooner we benefit. Just remember direction is more important than speed. So take your time getting started. 

RESOURCES: https://positivepsychology.com/comfort-zone/#google_vignette and https://www.waldenu.edu/programs/psychology/resource/the-pros-and-cons-of-comfort-zones

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