What comfort zone?

Much like my “core”, my comfort zone has become equally elusive. That I neglected continuing to exercise and strengthen my core during the global pandemic is completely on me—the disposition of my comfort zone is a different story altogether, and one we all share here on planet Earth these days.

Hence there are millions of uncomfortable people around the world looking for a safe place to land if only temporarily, to catch their breath until the next jolt out of perceived normalcy comes along.

At least when it was just my ass being kicked by the universe, I felt some semblance of control over the trajectory of my life…and ironically, I found comfort in that.

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

Abigail Brenner M.D. believes that “Creating a comfort zone is a healthy adaptation for much of our lives. But so is stepping out of our comfort zone when it’s time to transition, grow, and transform.

“Many psychologists and social scientists believe that leaving your zone of comfort can enhance levels of focus and concentration. Alasdair White, the man who coined the term “comfort zone,” hypothesized that to achieve high performance, one has to experience a certain amount of stress.”

“Especially when things are stressful, many of us resort to staying in our comfort zones—doing, saying, watching, or eating things that we already know,” writes Harvey Deutschendorf “That’s fine, of course. It is natural to want to stick with things to which we’re accustomed. But the more time we spend in this zone, the more difficult it will be to break free from that space.” In his article for Fast Company, Harvey offers 5 reasons you need to get out of your comfort zone – well worth a read, if you find yourself reluctant to make a move.

Although “The secret is out, folks — there is no such thing as a comfort zone. It is friends with the tooth fairy and second cousin to Harvey the Rabbit. You made it all up and you can make up something else entirely” according to Vera Claritas.

All I know for sure is what I learned many years ago: We will always have stress and anxiety in our lives. There’s the anxiety of staying where you are and stagnating or the anxiety of moving forward into the unknown.

“Pick one,” my teacher said. I always choose the unknown, which is what I am about to do now…try to find my core!