Everyone has some sort of fear, even if it is a small one. Maybe you are afraid of speaking in front of people or asking your boss for that raise. You might be afraid to go to rehab for drinking or afraid of telling people no. There are many things you can be fearful of. However, what do you think will happen when you step outside your comfort zone? What is the worst that could happen? This is how you need to think, if you want to succeed. Fear is great in some situations, but it can also limit you in your life a lot more than you may realize. Learn some of the best ways to step outside your comfort zone today.
Great Things Can Happen When You Feel Discomfort
Is feeling uncomfortable really the worst thing in the world? While you probably wouldn’t want it to happen all the time, sometimes feeling uncomfortable can be a good thing. When you step out of your comfort zone to take on a challenge in your life, you might feel a bit uncomfortable. However, if you keep pushing forward, great things can happen and then you will feel better. Great things in life don’t usually come easy. Use that discomfort to propel yourself forward into your goals and achieve success.
Small Steps to Give Yourself a Challenge
You don’t have to overcome your biggest fear in one day. In fact, to start stepping out of your comfort zone, you can take some small steps first. For example, if you want to be an author some day, start by writing a short story and speaking in front of people at the local book store. If you want to be a lawyer, negotiate at a yard sale for a better price. Small steps can get you more familiar with stepping out of your comfort zone. In time, you can take much bigger steps towards the things that fear you the most.
Learn from It
Learning is a great thing, in all aspects of life. When you feel discomfort from something, remind yourself that it is okay. Everyone feels this at some point or another in their life. It is important, however, to ask yourself, what are you learning from it? Are you learning things about someone in your life or about yourself? Are you learning what you enjoy or what you don’t like at all? Think about what you can learn from an experience, whether you are fearful in that experience or not.
Be Your Own Coach
Nobody ever said that you can’t coach yourself. You are the only one who can make yourself step outside of your comfort zone, so be your own coach. Ask yourself some basic questions such as “What will happen if I do this?” or “Can I make it through if I try this?”. By asking yourself questions, you can guide yourself through the things you fear. You can find out what is holding you back and what you need to change to make things better in your life. Think about the advice you give others and use that on yourself as well.
Imagine Yourself Filled with Confidence
When you imagine yourself filled with confidence, even if you are faking it until you make it, eventually you are going to feel more confident. Just imagine that your entire body is filled up with brightness, confidence, courage, and amazing contentment. When you do this, especially when imagining yourself filled with confidence about overcoming your fears, you can go to great places.
Do Your Research
There is research out there to back any fear you might have. If there is something that is outside of your comfort zone, do your research on it. For example, if you are scared of heights, do some research and find taller buildings in your area. Practice going up just a bit at a time. You might be amazed at how much you can accomplish in such a short amount of time.
Get More Familiar with Your Discomforts
Everyone gets uncomfortable when they have to step outside of their comfort zone. That is human nature. The best thing you can do about this is to get more familiar with the feelings of discomfort you have. Pick something that you are fearful of and scares you. Do one of these things every single day. Even if it is something small, the more familiar with the discomfort you become, the easier it will be to overcome your fears.
Visualize Yourself Living in Success
Most of the time when someone is asked to move out of their comfort zone, they imagine themselves failing. They get nervous, overwhelmed, and even stressed out. Instead of feeling like this, don’t you think it would be better to visualize yourself living in success? You can shut your eyes. Then, you can visualize your life in success. What does this look like? What kinds of things are you doing? Who are the people in your life? How does it feel? Imagining your life in success is a much better way to live your life instead of living in fear.
Embracing New Roles
Actors and actresses all embrace new roles. They practice and practice until they fit into the role almost perfectly. You can do this with your own life as well. Imagine your alter ego. Would you be successful? What would you have in your life and what would you be doing? Once you get comfortable with your new role, you will feel less discomfort. You will be less fearful of the things that currently overwhelm you. Start embracing your new role today. It will take a bit of time but you can get there.
Don’t Do It All on Your Own
Many people think they are alone when it comes to their fears. They feel they have to face it all by themselves because they don’t want to share their fear with others. The truth is everyone has fears. They may not be the same as yours or have the same cause, but everyone has at least one fear. If you are uncomfortable with trying a new thing, you can get a friend whom you trust to do it with you. Pick someone who isn’t going to make fun of you and your efforts. You want someone to be there with you who is going to support you in this feat. Find someone you can share your concerns with and try to overcome your fear with.
These are some of the best ways you can step outside of your comfort zone. It may seem like you are all alone in your fears and discomforts, but rest assured you aren’t. Everyone has some sort of fear and you can overcome yours. It may take you some time, but with implementing these tips, you can learn to overcome your fears and discomforts. You can become more comfortable outside of your comfort zone. Choose to start the process of overcoming your fears today. Pick something small and take action. You can do anything that you choose to put your mind to. Show your comfort zone who is boss today.
Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.
