I am here to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly of the comfort zone. Expanding your comfort zone will benefit you as a whole: physically and mentally.

People are repeatedly telling each other to “get out of your comfort zone”. It seems to be said so often and casually that the phrase has lost its quality. We

need to say this command with a knowledge of what a comfort zone actually is.

Leaving your comfort zone can lead to high levels of anxiety.

These intense feelings of anxiety are due to uncomfortable levels of uncertainty. Uncertainty makes us more sensitive to negative experiences. If we continuously have negative experiences during this feeling of uncertainty, we will link the two and it will prevent us from moving forward.

Benefits of breaking out of this realm of routine include: motivation, increasing your comfort zone, and help you grow as a person.

Increasing the amount of new experiences in our lives increase the levels of dopamine in the brain.

Change up your routine. Do things differently and you will expand your experiences. Expanding your experiences means becoming familiar with new

things. And familiarity is enjoyable, which results in enjoying more of life.

Making an indent on the couch is only going to help you find your favorite spot. It will not help you discover yourself as a person. Branching out and attempting new things such as

swimming with whales, going to a movie alone can have you feel uneasy but when completed, the feeling of accomplishment increases your confidence.

Great stories aren’t made from curling up on the couch. Now I’m not saying to…

…walk the line of a bridge…

…or do some extreme ironing atop a cliff…

We must maintain a balance between security and comfort but with thrill and excitement every now and then. Change up your routine. Do things different. Stop thinking someday.