I’ve been encouraged to step out side my “comfort zone” probably since at least grade 3. Over the years, this topic seems to be brought to the forefront of my life by friends or colleagues much less than in early years of school, although now, more than ever, it seems to be a dominant aspect of choices I make daily. Go figure right?
Let’s look at two significant reasons why we, as human beings, instinctively DO NOT want to step out of our comfort zones.
Change = unknown. Unknown could equal danger. In our reptilian brain (one of the few concepts I recall from grade 7 science class), lies one of the most deeply rooted skills we have honed over centuries: the ability to survive. How do we survive? By doing things we know will keep us safe. If we step out of our comfort zone, that reptilian brain’s instinct kicks in and says “uh-un, no way…. we are NOT going there…. what if this happens? What if that happens? How can this brain, be 100% certain, by doing that thing…it won’t kill us??” It’s human nature, to limit any type of perceived risk. So, it’s human nature, to instinctively NOT want to step out of our comfort zone.
Change = discomfort. Let’s say, this thing we are about to do, our brain, can rationally determine there is NO actual risk to our survival…. yet we still are reluctant to do this particular thing? Why? Taking a drawing class isn’t going to kill me, in that drawing a person sitting on a chair, with a charcoal pencil, will not threaten my life, but I’m still not comfortable doing it? Why? Because lack of familiarity causes people a ridiculous amount of discomfort! We human beings hate feeling uncomfortable, EVER!! We’ve managed to figure out our equilibrium in various aspects of our life, and when we stray from that equilibrium, we struggle to come to terms with the initial or prolonged discomfort. Again, our instinct is to keep any form of discomfort at bay, because if we feel discomfort, in essence, we are not at equilibrium.
So, if we are such an evolved species, how is it we struggle so much with the idea of pushing ourselves outside of what we perceive to be our mental and social limits? My guess is that our society has not only honed our innate instinct to survive, but we’ve also increased our ability to live with the fight-or-flight response (or stress response), and by that I mean, we are in the constant “flight” part of stress.
I’m not sure how best to push oneself outside of his or her comfort zone, because for everyone, a comfort zone is tied so closely to our psyche. Each person’s “zone” looks different. But, maybe, we could ask people who love extreme sports like base jumping, what allows them to push themselves beyond what they consider their limits?