By: Emily Roberts, MA, LPC Licensed Professional Counselor & Robin Emmerich, Life Coach & Hypnotherapist
Do you find yourself bored with your current routine? Are your relationships or career less satisfying then they used to be? Do you have an urge to cultivate new interests or friendships? Perhaps you’ve got an itch to just try something new?
If so, you are being called to a new level in your life. It takes a lot of courage to try new things, expand your connections and attract something, or someone, new. Almost everyone has felt the urge to break out of their comfort zone and yet very few people take action. Rather than just contemplating the idea, and perhaps talking yourself out of it due to fear or anxiety, try a new way of thinking, it will likely take you to a whole new level of happiness and fulfillment.
Whether you were hibernating over the cold winter months or have been stuck in a rut for the past few years, spring is the perfect time to shift out of a comfort zone that has been holding you back from getting the most satisfaction out of life. As we step into the warm weather and assess where we are on our quality of life, happiness, and goals, often times we are faced with the realization that we are too afraid to move out of what is normal, even mundane for our own good.
3 Steps to Stretching Your Comfort Zone:
Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What areas of my life could use a little boost, recharge, or more excitement? A woman in her early 30’s told us the other day that she wishes she had more satisfying friendships. Many of her female counterparts were negative and she felt drained after spending time with them.
2. Can I change this, if so how? She can’t change her friends, but she can control the time and amount of time she spends with them. Not to mention, start to seek out more valuable connections with new friends who share common interests. She is not sure how to find the new friends, but knows she is ready. Brainstorm ideas on ways to change. Think of times in the past you have or other people who have made positive adjustments in their life and how they did it.
3. What’s stopping me? Identify the fear that has been keeping you in your comfort zone. What are you afraid of happening? For our 30- something friend, she stated she was afraid of rejection or not meeting anyone she liked. When you recognize what the fears are, they become less overwhelming.
These three questions are imperative in identifying what you want to shift out of and how to grow. When you can accurately identify what is hindering you can begin to move towards the next chapter. As our friend realized, if she didn’t get out there she would never know, and even though she could be rejected, it became clear that not trying would be worse in the long run. So are you ready to make some life altering changes? Our next blog will be Part II, taking action. Look for it next week!
