Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

There comes a time in all our lives where we simply just need to leave our comfort zones. It could literally be the simplest thing like trying some new food or trying out for an event in school. This blog is exactly what I need right now, lately I have been trying to get out of my comfort zone and try new things, socialize more. So, if you feel like you need to put yourself out there and do something new and kind of leave behind everything that’s known, this blog is perfect for you

To start out, you need to pinpoint why exactly are you so afraid of getting out of your comfort zone, here are some of the fears I feel that people may have, even I experience some of these. I am going to try and debunk them-

1. People will judge me- what I have realized about this is that it is literally all in your head, you think people are constantly staring and judging you but the reality is that everyone has their own personal stuff going on and are probably wrapped up in dealing with that

2. You fail whatever you trying out- this is probably the worst possible scenario but if you look at things in retrospect, they really do not seem that deep. If you fail, you’ll learn something. If you end up being amazing at it, it’s a new hobby for you develop over time. If you think about it this way it is a win-win situation for you. Remember that it is okay to fail

3. Fear of losing control- you feel that normalcy will vanish as you know it, fear that everything known will become unknown. Sometimes you need to break your normal routine otherwise you might get burnt out. It is always good to try something new once in a while. Not only does it help you explore your interest but it also keeps you on your toes and leaves wanting to discover more about yourself

4. Fear that you will change- sometimes change is a good thing. People usually associate the word ‘change’ in a negative connotation like, “Oh, she’s changed so much.” Change is a beautiful thing honestly, it shows you have the capability to grow and to experience more things

5. Fear of embarrassing yourself- this is a huge one when it comes to me. What I have learnt is that life is too short to think like this. no one is going to remember that one embarrassing thing that happened to you in the coming years. They probably would remember it for a total of 5 minutes before completely moving on

Here are some of the things you can say to yourself or some of the things you can keep in mind while trying something new-

1. Everyone is probably equally nervous if they are trying something new and it is highly unlikely that they are looking at you or judging you. Trust me, people have so much to deal with in their own lives, let alone sit and judge others

2. Weigh a pros and cons list. Usually the pros outweigh the cons (I will get into that in detail, a little later into the blog)

3. No matter what happens, you are learning something new. Regardless of the outcome you will carry around this learning experience with you in future events

4. Tell yourself all the things you are good at pertaining to that certain event. For example, suppose you want to try out for a creative writing event at a competition- think about how much you love to write and read and how you are pretty good at it too. In short, I basically mean, be your own hype person

5. Tell yourself it’s a small step in a big direction. Even the smallest steps can lead to the biggest outcomes. You just have to give this process time

Now that we have gone over the basic stuff, you must be thinking- how do I actually get out of my comfort zone?

Here are some simple steps

1. Look at the pros and cons- to tell you more in detail. Your cons list is probably- fear of failure or rejection. That is really the worst possible scenario, you can’t let this be the main reason you don’t do things. Do you really think that Einstein cracked that formula in one try or Beethoven composed the Fur Elise in one go? It takes time and it takes failures for you to learn and move on.

2. Go over the worst possible scenario. If you want to be prepared for every possible situation this is the perfect thing to do. Just think – “What is the worst thing that can happen,” and if in retrospect it does not seem like a big deal, it will probably give you more motivation to go and try out for things

3. As much as we say spontaneous moments are the worst things ever, I think, sometimes they can actually benefit you. For example, if you decide to be spontaneous and give your name to try out for something it gives you less time to overthink about every single thing that can go wrong and you end up trying out for something new

4. Take small steps, a small step is really important. These help you to build up to your ultimate goal. As time goes on you may gain more confidence or be less nervous about something. I think it is important to be proud of yourself no matter how small the accomplishment is

5. Make those changes to your routine. If you want to try something new, you have to break out of your old routine. You can start with small changes until you create a routine you are absolutely satisfied with

Here are some quotes which will hopefully motivate you to get out of your comfort zone:

- “You are only confined by the walls you build yourself.”

- “You don’t grow when you are comfortable”

- “Each time you try something for the first time you will grow- a little piece of fear of the unknown is removed and replaced with a sense of empowerment”- Annette White

- “Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that is the one that is going to help you grow”- Caroline Myss

- “Sometimes the place you are used to is not the place you belong.”

I hope you enjoyed this blog and it gave you some motivation to get out of your comfort zone and put yourself out there. Just remember- stop stressing over everything and go have fun!

Thanks for reading,

Xx Mahika

(Question of the day: What show are you binging right now? I just finished Gilmore girls)

(Ps: follow my Instagram: @blogbanterandbigwords where I share polls and put teasers for my upcoming blogs, you might also find some nice quotes in there)