Discomfort Zone Vol. 2

It has been a while since I have published a post on SARAL, I do apologise. It's been a crazy past few weeks.

This is Vol. 2 of Discomfort Zone, so I suggest reading Vol. 1 by clicking here first if you haven't.

Let's get right into it.

The truth is, comfort zones are not just about comfort, they are our self-created boundaries, projected by our fears.

The process of stepping out can feel unnerving and daunting at first, so here are some of the steps (from my experiences) you can try out.

Be aware of where your zone begins and ends

We all have things that we want to do but we are scared to do because of fears of disappointment or failures. Before doing anything, we must first know what we are and are not comfortable with. What worked best for me was the realization that came with a visualization of my comfort zone.

Take a piece of paper or your tablet and draw a circle. Outside the circle, write the things that you are willing to do or want to do but are not doing out of fear of potential failure and disappointment. This works very well to understand your discomforts. Add to this by writing what you are comfortable with inside the circle.

What lies underneath these discomforts?

With the list of comforts and discomforts, fears can be better broken down and understood. What is that fear of? What is actually stopping you from doing it? Try and be as specific as possible.

Are you afraid of walking up to a group of people and introducing yourself? Why? Is it a fear of being judged/ignored? Or perhaps you don't like the sound of your voice or insecure about how you look?

Make discomfort comfortable

Comfort zones are ever-changing as we as people evolve into different versions of ourselves. The best way to grow by stepping out of comfort zones is to constantly expand what we define as the comfort zone. Make it a point to run away from the comfort zone.

For example, when approaching a group of people, when it starts making you feel panicky, stay around for a little longer than you normally would before stepping away and retreating back to your comfort zone. This allows you to inch into the discomfort and staying longer each time and practicing it often makes discomfort comfortable. And you may surprise yourself by realising it was not all that bad in hindsight.

Honesty with excuses

Making excuses is a common way for us to justify to ourselves or others about why we are doing or aren't doing something. It's important to realise when we are doing this.

Next time you find yourself justifying actions with an excuse, just be honest with yourself. Instead of "Oh, I don't have time for this at the moment" be honest and acknowledge, "I am afraid to do this". It can evoke a much needed thought process for us to break down our fears. Confronting what truly bothers you increases your chances of growing as a person.

Focus on the benefits

Evaluate the pros of doing the things in your discomfort zone. There is always a lot more to gain than to lose. Most of our fears are based on overthinking and assumptions we make about how others see us. That is a recipe for stagnancy. Focusing on benefits keeps you motivated in overcoming your fears.

In conclusion, stepping out of our comfort zones can seem daunting at first but there is no need to dive into it but rather inch into it. As you slowly push the edges of your comfort zone, you realise that the fear was holding you back and you feel more comfort in the things you once thought were dangerous.

As usual, if you have any questions or topics you would like to hear about, DM me. Also, do check out my Instagram and Facebook page where I share relatable quotes. I am hoping to publish 1 blog post a week going forward but I do apologise in advance if there is a delay.

All be blessed,

Rahil Dave