Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Part of making changes to support your mental health often requires trying new things and being a part of experiences that take you out of your comfort zone. This can cause additional distress, creating fear and anxiety in many people making it more likely that you to stick to the routines that you know offer security. Fear of trying new things may manifest in different ways. You may experience increased anxiety or feel apprehensive about the suggestion of trying something new. Or you may complain while doing something new and different, and focus on the negatives rather than the positives. Although it may feel uncomfortable opening yourself up to new experiences is a helpful way to support good mental health.

When thinking about something that takes you out of your comfort zone remind yourself that without trying you will never know what you might gain. New experiences provide the opportunity to discover new interests and activities that you enjoy. They also offer the chance for you to meet new people, strengthen existing relationships, gain new skills, and build confidence in different areas of your life.

It is completely normal to experience some feelings of anxiety before a trying something new, especially when it involves something unknown. There are things you can do to help support yourself and to help you continue to try new things in the future. Pay attention to how you are feeling before and during new experiences. Evaluate what you think will happen and consider what’s the worst and the best that could occur. Allow yourself to be curious and fully engage in the new opportunity. Try your best, but do not expect perfection. Understand that you will likely make mistakes and that it is a part of the learning process. Ease yourself into new experiences, avoid overwhelming yourself with situations that may cause you to feel panicked. Start small and set personal goals for yourself that you can build up to over time. For example instead of committing to try a different class at the gym every day this week. Choose one to attend a few times first until you begin to become more comfortable with the routine, then try adding in something different again.

Give yourself some control where possible, decide how long or how intensely you will expose yourself to new experiences. Pay attention to how you feel during new experiences and learn from them. Be mindful of if things went how you expected and question why you may have expected things to go a certain way in the first place. Celebrate yourself for getting out there and trying something new. Recognize that avoiding new experiences will only cause your fear and anxiety to increase. The more you continue to expose yourself to new things the more your fear and anxiety will be reduced. The more you challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone the more you will begin to build confidence and be able to engage in new experiences more easily.

A part of life is having to face new situations and solve problems that are placed in front of you. The more you are able to face your fears and anxieties the more you will begin to see that life has many positive experiences to offer. You can practice healthy coping skills to help relieve and reduce your anxiety before and during new experiences. Practice taking slow deep breaths and counting slowly to ten. Remind yourself that you have done this before and that you are capable of handling new experiences. Embrace that you will not always be able to control everything. Seek support by talking to friends and family that you can trust about the things you are feeling. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you are looking for professional help.

Celebrate all of the small steps you take to expand your comfort zone. Find positive ways to reward yourself for trying something new. Once you gain confidence in a new area continue to challenge yourself to keep getting out there. Find something you can do this month that will take you out of your comfort zone and share what you have gained through your new experience with your friends and family or on social media. Keep making your mental health a priority!