5 Reasons Why You Should Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
By now, the phrase “step outside your comfort zone” probably sounds like something you’d see on a cat poster, its novelty and usefulness seemingly beaten out of it by decades of overuse. But if this advice is so cliche, then why do so many people fail to follow it? As much as the conventional wisdom advises against it, people still cling to their comfort zones, becoming more and more caught up in their daily ruts. Here’s why that’s not a good idea:
Too little stress is bad too
Lifehacker defines your comfort zone as the “behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk.” That may sound like a good thing — after all, study upon study has shown how bad stress can be for both your physical and mental health. But too little stress can be bad too. Stressful situations — especially situations that are stressful because they are new — force you to grow and expand your skill set. Plus, experiencing expected low-level stress frequently teaches you how to deal with unexpected stressful situations throughout your life.
You learn to fail
People are naturally risk-averse, but at the same time, we grow by risk taking. Taking on challenges that you may not be capable of overcoming is the surest way to figure out what you are capable of. And even if you fail, that may very well pan out for the best in the long run. Many successful people have attributed their success to their ability to fail and recover from failure.
