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For those who have been mentally and emotionally abused or are handicapped stepping out of your comfort zone can be especially difficult. One thing I have found that helps is to find someone you are comfortable with and take a small step. Share with them what you are thinking about doing and get some feedback from them.
A few months ago I decided to take a step and leave my comfort zone for a weekend. What did I do? I took a weekend trip with a couple of friends to the Sights and Sounds Theater in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to see the play “David”. It was my first time traveling with anyone other than family. I’m glad I did. The experience was well worth it.
Some of you might be wondering why traveling with friends was a big step for me. Being handicapped there are things that I do differently than most people. So, I’m not always sure how others are going to react to that. The friends I traveled with are very accepting and easy to be with. So it ended up not being a big deal at all.
What are some ways you can step out of your comfort zone? It doesn’t have to be anything big, it can be something simple like changing one thing in your daily routine. If it is something big I suggest listing the pros and cons first. Let’s look at some ideas of what you could do.
Ways to get out of your comfort zone
- Do something by yourself- Some people don’t mind eating at a restaurant or going to the movies by themselves. Others find it awkward. Try it, you might find that you enjoy it. Or if you are someone who is used to doing things alone, try doing something with a friend or a group of people.
- Wear something you normally wouldn’t- For those of us that are handicapped a lot of times, we feel we don’t look good in certain things, like dresses or shorts, etc. Try wearing something you normally don’t, you never know you just might get some compliments.
- Try a new activity- We all have things that we want to try someday. Don’t keep putting it off go ahead and try it. It could be something like learning to cook your favorite meal or just cooking a dish that you feel is beyond your skills. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to paint or crochet. Search online to find someone who can teach you.
- Travel- Take that dream vacation. Like I mentioned earlier I stepped out of my comfort zone and traveled with friends. I have also flown by myself, you can read about my experience here.
- Talk to someone you normally wouldn’t talk to- For those who are introverts and are afraid of rejection talking to people you don’t know can be difficult. However, it doesn’t take much to say “hi” and smile at someone. It just might make their day and help them step out of their comfort zone too.
- Move out on your own- If you’ve always lived with your parents or someone else and feel it’s time for you to be independent, start the process of moving out on your own. It takes a lot of planning, for example, do you need something all on one level or a garage? Once you find a place what do you need to buy as far as groceries and household items? If possible find someone who has done it and can help you through the process.
- Change jobs or careers- Maybe you feel like you are in a dead-end job or you might just want to finally step into your dream job, Brad Krause has some good advice on the steps you need to take to start a new career. You can find them here.
We don’t need to be afraid to try new things and change things up a bit sometimes. There are many ways to get out of your comfort zone. I would recommend trying one or two at a time. Once you are used to the change try another. Before you know it your life will be completely changed. If you would like help getting out of your comfort zone, email me at Marsha@godlovemylife.com and we can set up a time to talk.