Think of one of your favorite things. Maybe a favorite food, sport you love to play, or your favorite place that you like to go just to get away. Now think of a time before you discovered that it was one of your favorite things. It's kind of hard to imagine yourself before you decided to give it a try, because it's now become a fundamental part of who you are, meaning if you never made a chance, you wouldn't be exactly who you are today.
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a huge part of life. It helps shape who we are, yet it is often overlooked. Why is that? Because stepping out of your comfort zone is an active process. We have to consciously force ourselves to do it, say yes to it, and then carry out a task, all while it is in the back of our mind that it isn't what we are used to.
Why does trying something new take so much effort? Is stepping out of your comfort zone even worth it?
We naturally seek comfort.
We are predisposed to seek comfort. We like it when everything that happens throughout our day is predictable, or we are able to control all the factors in our lives, because then we never have to be uncomfortable. Doing what is comfortable to us is important, especially when we are stressed or pushed beyond our limits, but only doing what makes us feel secure all the time leaves us sheltered. We never have to make tough decisions, evaluate whether we truly like something or not, or do something we aren't used to.
So what is the point of trying something new when it often causes us discomfort or forces us to make decisions we aren't used to?
We learn to accept uncertainty.
Have you ever gone into something new having expectations of what it's going to be like and had those expectations shattered? Stepping out of our comfort zone teaches us to accept the unknown and expect the unexpected. We can fully experience something new without it being predictable like so much of our days are. We learn that sometimes not having a plan is okay and can be enjoyable too, and that some things are simply beyond our control.
We become more comfortable with the world around us.
If you step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, your actual "zone" of comfort will increase. You'll become more comfortable with things you never thought you could be, simply because you tried it and realized it wasn't that bad, or you got used to it. You'll learn to appreciate all that is unique in the world, and that different doesn't always have to be scary. You'll find yourself becoming more carefree and able to let go of stress easier than before.
In the end, we learn more about ourselves.
Even taking small steps out of your comfort zone, you'll be surprised what you learn about yourself. You'll learn your boundaries, even more of your likes and dislikes, and how you react in situations of discomfort. You may even surprise yourself with what you do like, and find yourself changing for the better. You may feel less stressed and more adventurous. You may even slowly become at peace with the unknown, and find joy in the little things that life has to offer that we often overlook.
