Most of us love staying in our comfort zone. Resisting change is an absolute human tendency.
Our comfort zone provides us a safety net that minimizes stress and risk. It offers us mental security, benefitting our nervous system and putting our bodies at ease.
On the other hand, our bodies innately dislike change. Anything unfamiliar causes us discomfort. So, we resist and resent changes.
However, the problem is when we resist change that is good for us. Have you ever wanted to step out of your comfort zone to do something awesome for yourself, but it was too hard? Maybe something like telling your crush you liked them or asking your boss for a raise.
That’s the limitation with staying in your comfort zone and resisting change: you miss out on the changes that help you grow in life. Without change, how can you invite something more exciting and better into your life?
So how can you practice being open to change, even if it means painful endings, in order to step out of your comfort zone?
1. Master your emotions. When you move out of your comfort zone, you might feel anxious or afraid. Know that this is normal and completely human. You feel this way because you’ve never done this before. Acknowledge it and focus on moving forward anyway, even if it is in baby steps.
2. Reframe your thoughts. It’s natural to be afraid of endings. But, rather than thinking of the negative, scary possibilities, think of the positive possible outcomes.
If you are upset about something not working out, think of the good things that might come out of this ending. Often, we cannot see the positive possibilities when we are extremely emotional or afraid. Step out of this fear and challenge yourself to think of all the good things that might come your way!
3. Celebrate. This might be difficult but try celebrating the painful ending. Appreciate the experience that you were blessed with having. This will rewire your brain to consider this ending as something good! After every storm is a rainbow, so it is a reason to celebrate.
4. Get comfortable with discomfort. Get used to being outside your comfort zone. That is where all the magic happens. The more you are open to change, the less painful it will feel. Practice spending time in discomfort.
For example, if you are meeting someone new at a party, talk to them for slightly longer than you are comfortable. Get used to that area past what is comfortable.
5. Let go and be open to change. Sometimes things do not go the way you expected. And that is okay. Accept it. Let go of what you planned or what was. Be open to the change and the good things that come from endings. Remember, a phoenix always emerges from the ashes.
Remember, for anything new to come into your life, space has to be made. And that can often mean the end of something. The next time you feel like you are going through a painful ending, switch your perspective and consider the good that can come out of this in the long run.
