In today’s episode, Lucy, Jamie, and Avery discuss comfort zones. Comfort zones get some pretty negative press, but great things can happen when we have a comfortable place to land where we can rest and feel secure, confident, and safe. Comfort zones can be, well, comfortable, but they can also become constraining. There are drawbacks to doing things as they have always been done before. Even though it can feel scary at first, pushing ourselves beyond the comfort zone can really be exciting and fun. Because life doesn’t always let us remain in our comfort zones, it is also important to get comfortable with unpredictability and the “new”. We tell some stories about when we have pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones, touch on some strategies that have helped us to manage the uncertainty and fear that come with trying new things and discuss the importance of balancing the “new” with comfortable routines. 

Do Try This at Home: 

• It is important to prioritize:  if you are really pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone in one way, keeping routines in other aspects of your life may really help. Being  intentional about balancing discomfort to comfort can help you push through the “new”.
• Pay attention to where your comfort zones are and ask yourself, “do I  truly feel comfortable or do I feel more ‘stuck in the mud’?” Which comfort zones are working for you and which ones get in the way?
• Sometimes we stay in our comfort zone because we are trying to avoid anxiety. Pay attention to whether you are unintentionally avoiding something that is important to you in an effort to avoid the anxiety that comes up when you think about trying something new.