Step out your comfort zone

Grace Stanhope, 7th Apr 2021
Tags: Life Blog Identity Individuality Self-worth

When I ask you to “step out of your comfort zone”, how does it make you feel?

Perhaps the thought of stepping out gives you a sense of excitement or even a buzz. I imagine for many though, the thought gives you butterflies. Stepping out of your comfort zone isn’t an easy thing to do; it’s a risk, and sometimes your mind automatically goes to the things that can go wrong.

What are comfort zones?

Comfort zones are just that- comfortable.Therefore, it’s so natural to feel worried about stepping out from them and trying something new. Our comfort zones often feel a place of safety; they’re familiar, and they can even make us kind of happy too.

So why is it important for us to step out? It’s not that comfort zones are bad places. But if we restrict ourselves to them, wee can sometimes miss out on some great opportunities. Because stepping out of your comfort zone is one of the biggest opportunities for us to grow as people.

Stepping out can look like so many different things. Maybe you want to try a new hobby, but you’re worried you’ll fail. Maybe it’s making your first YouTube video, but you’re scared of what your friends may think. It could even be sharing your faith with someone.

Over the years I’ve had to really battle to step out of my comfort zone. Whilst the thought of pushing myself and trying new things seemed exciting, things held me back. I was very shy, and I was worried I’d fail or embarrass myself. Maybe you’re your own biggest critic, or maybe those thoughts aren’t even from you. If someone has said “you could never do that”, it immediately makes you doubt yourself and your capabilities. Battling with those thoughts are very difficult, but try to put them aside and know you are capable of great things.

Here are some tips to help you step out of your comfort zone.

Tell someone

I’ve found this so helpful. When you tell someone something you want to try or challenge yourself with, they can keep you accountable to it. Choose someone you can trust and have a good relationship with, and they’ll encourage you on this journey. 

They’ll also challenge you and push you to try the things that perhaps scare you…which at the time may seem daunting, but you know that this person wants the best for you and only wants to see you grow.

Faith over Fear

Something I like to remind myself is to choose faith over fear.

As a Christian, I believe that stepping out is a great opportunity for God to work through us. It’s putting ourselves in a situation where we feel slightly uncomfortable, and choosing to put our trust in God.

I believe that if God has called us to do something, we will always get us through it with His help. We just need to make the first move by stepping out- and He will use us!

Embrace the journey

Know that stepping out of your comfort zone is definitely a journey. It’s not a race. It may feel nerve-wracking the first few times, but your confidence will build up. You will grow on this journey. And like every journey, there will be ups and downs. If the thing you tried out doesn’t go well, don’t worry! We can learn from failure, and it’s amazing that you had the courage to step out!