The Tribune

By Christine Carey

A friend of mine gave me a sticker the other day which said “Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone”, and it reminded me how powerful this one statement is.

In my own personal life, this has been a transformational practice and I find this topic comes up almost daily in my regular conversations as well as with some of my clients.

What does it mean to step outside of your comfort zone?

Your comfort zone is that area within the boundary you build around your actions and thoughts. It is the restriction you place on doing certain things for various fears. It can also be seen as a protective mechanism, but for the purpose of this thought process here today, I would like to focus on the restrictive behaviours that prevent us from living life to the fullest.

As we have experiences throughout our lives, we take in what other people think of us and gauge our actions by their responses. If for example, you dance at a party as a teenager and someone comments, “You can’t dance”, then there is a very strong possibility that you will carry that other person’s thought with you for many years and restrict yourself from dancing.

Another example is having a sad experience and limiting yourself from laughing and then believing that you don’t deserve to laugh. Or being afraid of heights and not going to the top of a building, or singing in public, or wearing a different style of clothing because you think you may look silly, or travelling to new places, or standing up for yourself or submitting your resume to a company you have wanted to work with; this list can go on and on.

Take a moment and think about this.

What are you limiting yourself from doing because of fear? Fear of doing something different, feeling something different or looking different.

I do not know how to relay with enough conviction how important the answer to this question is.

Within your response is one of the keys to living a more vibrant life; a life where the world around you appears more colourful and not just shades of gray.

When you decide to start taking healthy and controlled actions to expand your area of comfort you not only prove to yourself how courageous you are which builds confidence, you also get to push your abilities and have what can be fantastic experiences of personal growth.

Here is an exercise I would like you to try to get you started on your path to greater fulfilment:

Each day for one month, do something that you have never done before.

Your activity can be something as simple as walking backwards from your car to the house or office. Maybe you will decide to sit somewhere you have not sat before at church or in a meeting. You could do something as bold as get your scuba diving certification or go skydiving. The point is it has to be completely new; never been done before. When you run out of ideas or you realise it is 9pm, then do something silly and squat while brushing your teeth (if you have never done that before).

As you are doing this exercise, be mindful of how you feel and where the feelings stem from. Are you embarrassed, are you relieved or some degree of elated? Do your negative feelings originate from a thought that someone else put into your mind and is that something you want to carry through to your future reality?

Do things that are slightly uncomfortable but be responsible with your actions. This exercise is meant to nourish and enrich you and those around you. Have fun with this challenge. At the end of your comfort zone is a place of adventure and joy. It may take some time to realise the benefit, but I promise you will.

Please share your experiences with me at christine.carey@liquidnutrition.com.

• All health content in this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Christine is a certified holistic health coach (www.christine-carey.com), operating partner at Liquid Nutrition (www.liquidnutrition.com) and director of Corporate Wellness at 242 Consulting (www.242consulting.com). With over ten years of coaching experience, Ms Carey works with individuals and groups to assess and define their health and lifestyle goals with a strong focus on increasing knowledge and implementing tools for success.