The comfort zone

by Derek H · October 8, 2016

Someone’s comfort zone is their safe place, where they are in a known territory, where they get comfortable with the familiar and their daily habits. By staying in this zone, a person avoids any situation where they could feel insecure. But also where unexplored and unsuspected good moments can be lived. We all have a comfort zone and we all know how hard it is to get out of it. But as hard as it can be we have to try to push the boundaries of our little cocoons a little at a time. Life is about learning and taking risks and this happens outside of our comfort zone.

This is what I felt I was doing when I decided to join the Public Speaking Society in Stirling University.

At first I didn’t realise that discovering this society would end up with me getting out of my comfort zone. Indeed when I went to my first meeting, to listen to one of my friend’s prepared speech on optimism, I didn’t suspect I would have to participate. Even less did I suspect the stress this participation would cause me.

We had to speak to someone in the room we didn’t know for 5 minutes and then describe this person in front of everybody else. This exercise was meant to make us socialize and to see how much and what kind of information we would remember.

When it my turn came up, I stood up, described my partner and then sat down. Everything went well on the outside. I even made people laugh. What surprised me was the painful wave of stress that struck me once I had finish. Indeed once I sat down, the stress I must have been controlling and blocking flew through me. And it was physically uncontrollable and painful.

This is when I knew I wasn’t as confident as I thought about talking in public. And I reflected on it for a week but I felt deep inside that joining the society would sometimes mean feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed by myself but I also felt it is the perfect place to do it and most of all the right time. With this step out of my comfort zone I am positive I will learn how to make speeches and I will gain some confidence.

I am getting out of my comfort zone, but I am doing it in a safe place where people are benevolent and probably feeling as stressed as I am. Wherever you are, wherever you come from, keep making baby steps out of your comfort zone.

Only good things can happen from it!

And this amazing video created by InKNOWation talks about the process of getting out of your comfort zone in beautiful drawings and very clear statements. It is worth watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhFxQlDPjaY