If you’re someone interested in self-betterment and read a lot of self-help books, you’ve probably come across the phrase get out of your comfort zone. We hear a lot about why it’s beneficial to get out of this mysterious comfort zone, but we don’t hear so much about HOW to do it.
Most comfort zone challenges can be too demanding. The most common one I come across is ‘move to another country.’ No doubt, that’s going to be an uncomfortable and exciting thing to do, but it’s just not feasible for so many people. I, for one, cannot forsake my entire life to go half-way across the world.
That’s why I’ve compiled some easy and everyday challenges that can get you out of your comfort zone and make you a healthier, happier person starting from today.
Table of Contents
Force yourself to talk to strangers
This is possibly the most common and one of the trickiest. If you have socially awkward tendencies like me, going up to a stranger and striking up a conversation can be daunting.
Try not to ask any personal questions, or they might get creeped out. Try to make sure it doesn’t look like you’re hitting on the person or attempting to get their number since that can have different outcomes.
You may never meet this person again, which can be a good thing if you feel embarrassed. The best part about talking to strangers is that it’s practice when you have to network in your professional or personal life.
You know that moment when you’re at a party and see someone you’d love to connect with? If the fear of walking up to them and introducing yourself is holding you back, talking to strangers can polish your skills until you’re ready.
Just like any other skill, talking to people you’ve never met before can be challenging in the beginning. We’re used to being in our comfort zone and only speaking to our closest friends, but after some practice, it can improve the conversations you have with everyone in your life.
Go cold-turkey from social media.
This might sound enormously difficult – but try it just for one week. Identify the social media app you use the most, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, and uninstall the app from your phone.
You’ll catch yourself absent-mindedly clicking on where the app used to be on your phone screen — and might feel like an addict. This is definitely going to be uncomfortable, but I assure you it’ll be worth it.
There will be so much extra time that you might be able to do things you never could before, like read the books gathering dust on your shelves or visit a cafe you walk past every time.
Take yourself on a date.
If you’re the kind of person who hates eating alone in restaurants, taking yourself on a date might make you cringe. But there are considerable benefits to being alone with your thoughts and spending quality time with yourself.
If you’ve been wanting to go to a museum but don’t have artsy friends or want to try out the new microbrewery — it’s time to treat yourself! Ensure you’re not on your phone the whole time; texting will stop you from enjoying your own company.
Instead, take a little notebook and try to note down thoughts that come to you or sketch interesting people you see. You’ll relish how the mind slows down! It can be leisurely to not have to always impress the other person you’re with, and try to be funny or witty all the time.
Try seeing a movie in a theatre alone! The joy of not having to share popcorn might even outshine the film.
My favorite way to take myself on a date is to go window-shopping. I’ll try on 20 pairs of jeans and take my own sweet time in the changing room. It’s a treat for me because I know nobody else would ever have the patience to shop with me!
Only you know what the perfect date would be for you. Next weekend – skip Tinder and take yourself out!
Eat different cuisines
Challenge yourself to eat a different cuisine for a week! We can get very attached to our favorite foods, but there are many culinary experiences you could be depriving yourself of out there.
Here are some suggestions:
Monday: Authentic Mexican cuisine! (No, Chipotle or Taco Bell doesn’t count!)
Tuesday: Vietnamese cuisine (if you’ve never tried Pho, this is the perfect opportunity)
Wednesday: Indian cuisine (look for one that advertises itself as healthy and homemade)
Thursday: Greek/Mediterranean (stay away from food stalls and visit an authentic place with a secret Hummus recipe passed down generations)
Friday: Japanese cuisine (try more than sushi and ramen!)
Take cold showers!
There’s nothing simpler than this. Most people hate taking cold showers, especially on a chilly day. That feeling when you switch on the shower, and you hover on the side, not wanting to step in. You gingerly touch the ice-cold water with your toes to see how bad it is.
This is an excellent example of how difficult it can be to get out of your comfort zone. Shivering in your bathroom, too scared to step into the cold can make you feel a little pathetic, and sometimes it takes longer than expected to gather the confidence to take the plunge.
After an initial shriek, most of the time, the cold really wasn’t so bad. We get used to it in seconds and always feel silly for taking so long to do it!
This applies to other parts of life as well. It’s always scarier before you do it, and maybe taking cold showers every day will force you to put up with discomfort!
Who knows, you may like being out of your comfort zone so much that you actively seek out being uncomfortable.
These 5 ways to get out of your comfort zone are a good place to start. After pushing yourself to do different things, you’ll be an excellent life coach to yourself. This builds your strength and resilience, and you’ll find that everyday annoyances don’t bother you anymore!
About Carson Derrow
