“Step out of your ‘Comfort Zone.’” It’s kind of a cliché, but when you’ve actually done it, you realize that this saying is one of the best you can live by. I believe stepping out of your comfort zone is what our generation needs. There’s no better way to advance your education, career, and personal happiness than to try new things and push yourself harder each day.
When you’re living in your comfort zone, your body and mind begin to lose their drive since there is no positive stress pushing them forward. This results in loss of ambition and a sense that keeping ‘busy’ is an excuse to stay comfortable. By staying in your comfort zone 24/7, you won’t ever realize how far you can go or what you can achieve.
The desire for comfort is innate which is what makes it’s so hard to let go of. Remember when you were little and it almost felt like a comfort zone didn’t exist? This is because as children, humans are risk takers. They’re not as scared of failure or of what others will think of them. Let’s be like kids again and do things because they’re new and exciting! It can be something as simple as cutting your hair or going for a run, anything that makes you feel a little bit nervous. This is called ‘Productive Discomfort’ and if you do it enough your body will desire to be in this state of optimal anxiety more and more.
You’ll begin to notice that the more you leave comfort behind, the easier it will get. I promise, leaving your comfort zone becomes addicting and rewarding.
A good starting point is to find something you’ve always wanted to try but have never had the courage. Everyone has hobbies they admire in others or new skills they’d like to learn. I suggest picking one of these a semester and really devoting time towards developing them.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to dance you could try out DF Dance Studio where they have beginner classes that start up every couple of weeks. Not ready to take that step just yet? Okay, you have one more chance to lie in bed and watch Netlfix, if, you watch the movie Shall We Dance. By the end of it, I’m sure Jennifer Lopez will have convinced you to try out a class. Plus, the best thing about going to group classes is that you are learning with other people who are also stepping outside of their comfort zones which is the best kind of inspiration there is.
As a student at the University of Utah, you could take advantage of the Outdoor Recreation Center we have. If you’re someone who doesn’t normally do things outdoors it’s a great way to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Outdoor Recreation has guided trips throughout the semester which are really affordable for students and most of them encourage beginners to come along!
Traveling is another great way to push yourself. This doesn’t mean you have to fly to another continent to feel out of your comfort zone! Travel to the next city over, take the bus, find your way around, and just be a tourist for a day. You learn a lot about yourself when you are alone and in a new environment which will quickly put you into a state of optimal anxiety.
These ideas are just a few of the ways you can begin to step out of your comfort zone. I encourage you to find your way and devote time to it throughout this semester. Doing this will help you to become more open in both the present and the future which will help you a lot as you search for jobs after graduation. The sooner you start stepping out, the easier it will become!