Expanding Your Comfort Zone

Everyone has their own comfort zone: a set of situations and activities where they feel at ease, relaxed, and fully themselves. Our comfort zone is an important aspect of who we are and a key driver of the decisions we make. We often perform optimally within our comfort zones.

However, throughout our lives we are constantly faced with situations that require us to step out of our comfort zones, even if only temporarily. The ability to perform effectively while outside of our comfort zones is crucial to success, and because of this, many of us make a strong effort to put ourselves in new or unfamiliar situations in order to expand our comfort zones. However, just putting ourselves in those situations is not enough. The way in which we handle these situations has a large impact on how much we ultimately get out of pushing ourselves beyond our normal comfort levels.

Imagine walking into a room full of strangers, whether it is at a party, networking event, or conference. Many people, especially those who are more introverted, would feel at least somewhat out of their comfort zone in this situation. However, their reactions may differ quite significantly. Someone who is extremely proactive would make it a point to meet and talk to as many new people as possible. In contrast, someone who is very passive may keep to themselves the whole time, hovering by the food and drinks and maybe saying hi once in a while. Even though both have stepped out of their comfort zone, the results are very different. The person who was proactive in meeting new people not only gained new connections, but improved their ability to successfully handle this type of social situation. On the other hand, the person who hung around passively gained much less from the experience. They could go to a large number of these types of events, but if they kept up their passivity, there would be no improvement and they would continue to feel uncomfortable when faced with similar situations in the future.

Stretching yourself means not only seeking out situations that are outside your comfort zone, but dealing with the situation in a way that makes the most out of the challenges it brings. As you push yourself to proactively face the aspects that are most difficult for you, your comfort level will grow, and over time, your comfort zone will expand.