What do you think of when you hear or read something along the lines of, "Get out of your comfort zone?" Maybe you imagine doing the things you have always dreamed of but are too afraid to do. Or maybe you think of doing some crazy, wild thing like skydiving, or something else super daring. Although those things definitely fit the definition, a lot of us think that stepping out of our comfort zone only applies to doing extreme things.
But before I go more into that, let's take a look at the Merriam-Webster definition of "comfort zone."
Comfort zone (noun): a place, situation, or level where someone feels confident and comfortable.
So yes, stepping out of your comfort zone means doing something that you're not comfortable with and makes you scared, but that doesn't mean that everything you do out of you comfort zone has to be some huge thing that everybody sees as a big deal or would be difficult for them to do.
Maybe you got the courage to ask for help in a class you're struggling in, despite how nervous it makes you. Maybe you signed up for a class you're interested in but aren't sure you'll do well. Maybe you chose a major that you love, despite what others have, or might tell you. Or maybe you simply go to college every day, despite whatever makes that difficult for you.
All of those things and so many more are tasks that can be considered stepping out of your comfort zone, and you should be proud of that. Any time we step out of our comfort zone we grow, learn, and better ourselves.
What I consider to be stepping out of my comfort zone is probably different than yours. But that's completely fine because, as corny as it sounds, we're all different and there are things that we struggle with that others don't. You don't have to do something extreme to feel proud of yourself for doing something that scares you. And whether or not we realize it, doing the small things that are out of our comfort zone can help us when it comes to the bigger stuff as well.
Start taking notice of the small things (or rather the things that seem small) that you do that require you to step out of your comfort zone and be happy knowing that you accomplished something. From there, maybe you can start taking notice of opportunities to do something that scares you and actually go for it, because you realize that you do it more than you thought.
So step out of your comfort zone! Say hello to that person, join that student organization, try out for something, but most importantly, be proud of yourself!
