Written by When faced with a challenge or a difficult period, people want to run to their comfort zone for safety’s sake. That perceived security gives a “temporary” feel-good that allows the feelings of safety to fool the person seeking its luxury. The problem is that some do not want to leave when entering that zone. The zone converts from security to a prison cell. It is trapping them behind the feeling of comfort and safety instead of pushing forward and looking to achieve the goal of the original pursuit.
When that occurs, stagnation is the result, and moving from a position at rest is almost impossible. Justifications for stagnation act as additional anchors and eventually lead to a belief of the excuses rendered and become bona fide reasons (in their mind) not to move forward. Finding a way to recharge power cells and get the motor running again is tantamount. The primary way it will be done is to face the reality of the circumstance and agree to move from that comfort zone. The person trapped inside it must now look at their event as a cell they must escape from instead of a bed of leisure to stay rested on.
You understand that the alcohol, dope, or chocolate chip cookies you covet keep you from moving forward. You must agree to move past these comfort perceptions and continue your quest. It is not easy, and I am not saying that addictions are the only crutches that keep many stagnant; they are only examples. Some people let past circumstances impede future progress, and others allow the people they are around to hold them down; whatever the reason is, your reality of understanding “why” you are not moving forward will be the spark to restart that motor.
I have talked about a book called Takes What It Takes (Moawad, 2020) on multiple occasions. The writer’s premise truly applies here. Facing your reality to get to your neutral is the premise, and doing the same thing is what it will take to escape the comfort zone—knowing that the things that keep a person anchored to their comfort are, more than likely, the things that must be eliminated whether it is a substance, thought, or state of mind.
Desires to break free and continue pushing on must trump comfort. Knowing that the comfort zone will not get them to a better version of themselves must be recognized. There is no magic bullet to address that; it is personal to the one locked in the zone. They must do it within their timeframe and come to the realization of their fruition as well. It is difficult, especially when the choice is comfort or drudging forward into the fire.
The want for better must be larger than the desire for comfort. I was reading an article online from Success magazine, and the writer Sally Deneen offered several suggestions. Most are associated with creativity and getting in touch with one’s creative side. She quoted Dr. William J. Hall from the Center of Healthy Aging at the University of Rochester Medical Center: “When you start something new, particularly in the creative area, it is just like a whack on the side of the head to your brain.”
Her list was lengthy and included some stimulating activities for starting the motor. Here are a few:
- Doing something that you have been afraid to do
- Monthly reading to stimulate brain activity
- Unplugging for a designated time (this is something I am big on)
- Confronting technology that you have been avoiding
- Find a hobby that is associated with movement. This is a great one because it opens the desire for exercise. Your mind and body become stimulated simultaneously.
- Find a role model who has experienced a similar circumstance. I like this one because it gives the ability to bounce ideas and ask how they escaped their comfort zone.
- Try a new recipe. I love to cook. Cooking and eating new things are excellent ways to break free from the nuances of a day-to-day eating regimen. (Deneen, 2016)
She lists 52 different ways. Some are quirky, like brushing your teeth on one leg or getting lost on purpose, but many are great ways to break free of your comfort zone. For example, limiting your TV watching was one.
TV, binge-watching Netflix or movies, and things of that nature can keep you stagnant and zap your aspirations for movement. During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant spike in TV watching. Companies like Netflix added 16 million subscribers during that time. (Streed, 2022)
Numbers like that feed into why people gravitate to our comfort zones. Getting away from the daily drama many endure seems to imitate and resemble luxury and comfort. This is a significant reason why limiting or cutting out TV altogether is a wise choice. The television will keep one locked in that comfort zone and justify it through cravings for visual stimulation—more the reason to shut it down.
To escape the comfort zone, one must defy wants for luxury and accept the need for movement. Forward progress is the path to a real comfort zone. One that is conducive to finding a better version of ourselves.
Bibliography
Deneen, S. (2016, October 6). 52+ Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone. Success. https://www.success.com/52-ways-to-get-out-of-your-comfort-zone/
Streed, L. (2022, March 21). The psychology behind comfort shows and our TV watching habits. The Mac Weekly. Retrieved April 20, 2023, from https://themacweekly.com/80962/arts/the-psychology-behind-comfort-shows-and-our-tv-watching-habits/
Moawad, T. (2020). It Takes What It Takes. Harper One. https://doi.org/0062947125