This is one of my favorite topics - but one of the most challenging parts of coaching people. The comfort zone is where we live when we don’t feel challenged or stressed, but also where we feel lazy. Routine is the comfort zone. Status quo is the comfort zone. The comfort zone is a made up place created by our fears - and it's time to leave.
Now don’t get me wrong - sometimes we need comfort. There are times when we need to stop pushing ourselves, to recover, or restore. BUT - if you spend too much time in the comfort zone, this can really hold you back from your goals. It holds you back from your BEST LIFE. It holds you back from being the BEST person you can be. These are my motivations, because one of my values is constant growth as a person.
The only way to improve anything in your life: your health, your fitness or your mindset is to get out of your comfort zone. We don't learn in the comfort zone. It's when we have feelings of fear, the urge to pull back or give up that the real magic happens.
The comfort zone is sneaky - it keeps us in status quo for a reason: to keep us safe from the discomfort of challenge. I’m talking about physical discomfort (heart racing, muscles burning, short of breath), or mental discomfort (emotional challenge, tough conversations, feelings of embarrassment, etc). We all feel discomfort and react to it at different levels (although there really isn’t a great way to know or compare levels of discomfort between individuals), but we can all improve our resilience to it, and how we experience it.
Okay how do we do this? It’s not always simple, but there are strategies. Sometimes, it just clicks and we decide on a new path. Sometimes, things are sooooo bad for us where we are, that we FINALLY decide that the effort to get out of status quo is finally worth making. But nobody can decide when that is, and a lot of the time it’s WAY later than it should be. So instead, I have some tips on getting started.
First, focus on WHY you want to change:
Increased confidence in yourself. You learn that you can do more, that you can do things that seem hard, and still survive.
Increased feelings of pride and accomplishment. We recognize that the effort pays off, and we become proud of ourselves for doing it. This in turn gives us more confidence the next time something seems too hard.
Endorphins. We get a nice, natural feeling of elation and happiness when we accomplish things that are hard. ESPECIALLY in fitness, because it requires physical effort, which always produces endorphins in the brain that allow us to feel less pain (physically and emotionally).
There are other benefits including increased resilience to stress and disease, depending on the type of “discomfort” you are putting yourself through (interval training, sauna, ice baths, meditation, etc.).
The obvious reason: we are constantly talking about changing, but nothing ever changes. The difference? DISCOMFORT. Until we are willing to push into zones of discomfort (I’m not talking about acute pain by the way), things won’t (and don’t) change.
HOW do we start getting out of this zone!?
The second step is to recognize in the moments when we are holding ourselves back. Then practicing IMMEDIATELY to do it anyway. Whatever your mantra needs to be (Just Do It - Nike; Do It Now - Lululemon), you need to find one that works for you to interrupt the thoughts holding you back. As soon as you feel the need to pull back, which is usually associated with thoughts like “okay that’s good enough”, or “ugh, I’m tired”, or “OMG I’m going to die”, you need to INTERRUPT the thought, and recite the mantra. JUST DO IT.
STOP thinking about it, and do it anyway.
Would you rather have NOT done it? I think 99/100 times you ask yourself that last question, the answer will be NO. And that’s all you need to do it again.
This takes practice, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes - I PROMISE you. This is mental training. We can write goals and make plans for ourselves, but practice in a real life setting is the only way to develop the mental fortitude to keep pushing yourself.
My third tip is to prepare yourself for these real life opportunities:
Start focusing on long term gain and pleasure. Avoid the desires to feel good NOW, because indulging in those desires will actually never get to you to the long term pleasure you should be working for. Think about the long game, and what you want to feel in a year, or six months. If you focus on that consistently, and resist the “feel good now” traps, then you have a chance.
Focus on the effort it requires in the moment in order to gain the transformation that will give you the long term success. It is effort that is rewarded, so you need to start putting mental energy there. Focus on how the effort will feel when it’s done. Focus on the effort being the thing to create your transformation. When you perceive a difficult challenge to be the means in which you achieve goals, you begin to WANT to do it.
Now that you’ve mentally prepared, you need to do it. While you are pushing that boundary, you need to feel the feeling of discomfort. Recognize it for what it is - thoughts, physiological responses, and energy. That’s all it is. We create the mental responses to discomfort by telling ourselves a powerful story to get us out. IGNORE that story, and see what happens.
Once your finished, reflect on the experience. Was it really as bad as your imagined? Would you rather have NOT done it? I think 99/100 times you ask yourself that last question, the answer will be NO. And that’s all you need to do it again.
You cannot have the pleasure or success without the WORK - so start LOVING THE WORK.
To summarize:
Comfort zone = no growth as a person. No increased fitness. No learning or resilience-building.
Boundary-pushing/DISCOMFORT = confidence. personal growth. fitness. endorphins. pride. more confidence. less fear. feeling good. ETC. These are the WHYs. There are tons more - so find yours that resonate.
RECOGNIZE your thought patterns that hold you in comfort. Then INTERRUPT them. Train yourself to stop listening to those thoughts, and to take action instead.
PREPARE for the real-life opportunities to get out of that zone. Focus on long-term pleasure, instead of avoiding the short term discomfort. Discomfort NOW means feeling good later. Change your mindset towards it. The EFFORT is the means to the gain. You cannot have the pleasure or success without the WORK - so start LOVING THE WORK.
This applies to more than just fitness. Don’t run away from tough conversations. Be honest with others about your feelings and thoughts. Don’t let yourself off the hook from getting up and MOVING your body. Don’t quit in the moment.
PRACTICE DO IT NOW. This means no more procrastinating. Do it now, or don’t do it at all - but stop wishing. Practice interrupting negative thoughts, and just DO IT. This will
REPEAT. Over and over and over again.
You will be absolutely amazed at how different your experience becomes with practice. Now go out there and do it!
xoxo,
Leigh
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