The comfort zone is that space in which we feel protected and safe, a space built by our routines, habits and thought patterns in which we are relatively comfortable due to the feeling of familiarity and because we believe that we are not exposed to great shocks or unwanted surprises.
We do not have to continually get out of our comfort zone, or getting obsessed with it. Sometimes, all we need to regain strength after an emotional debacle is a place where we feel psychologically safe.
However, we must also ensure that this comfort zone is increasingly wide because keeping us always within its limits can mean condemning us to boredom and personal anguish. We must ensure that this state of apparent comfort does not become the perfect excuse for doing nothing, not growing, not taking risks and, ultimately, not living.
The best quotes about the comfort zone
1. “Do one thing every day that scares you” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Fear, although usually seen as a negative emotion to avoid, is actually an emotion that is not only activated in the face of danger but also in new situations that may represent an opportunity for change. We are afraid of what we do not know, but that does not mean it is dangerous. Therefore, from time to time we need to expose ourselves to situations in which we are not comfortable but can expand our universe.
2. “True self-discovery begins where your comfort zone ends” – Adam Braun
Staying within the limits of our comfort zone implies relating to an “ego” that we already know. Leaving the comfort zone, on the contrary, means expanding our limits to see how far we are able to reach. And that implies, on many occasions, finding an inner strength that we did not know. Leaving the “safe” spaces is often the best strategy to strengthen our resilience and get to know ourself better.
3. “If you put yourself in a position where you have to stretch outside your comfort zone, then you’re forced to expand your consciousness” – Les Brown
The comfort zone is usually marked by habits, automatisms and customs, for many of those things we do, feel or think without being fully aware of them. Leaving that space will allow us to break that monotony and be more aware of our experiences, living more fully each of those moments. Finally, leaving that comfort zone behind forces us to develop spontaneous attention and be more present.
4. “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” – William Shedd
This quote to get out of our comfort zone encourages us to question how we want to spend much of our lives. In a safe harbor, protected from storms but where nothing new happens, or sailing to meet other seas and shores, testing our skills? Perhaps the key lies in finding a midpoint. Resting in each port we reach but then, lift anchors again heading towards new horizons.
5. “We cannot become what we want to be, by remaining what we are” – Max DePree
The American writer and entrepreneur knew exactly what he was talking about. Only when we get out of our comfort zone can we become the person we want to be and achieve what we aspire to. If we remain tied to the past, to an old “ego”, we will refuse the opportunity to grow and discover everything we would be able to achieve.
6. “The wise who clings to comfort cannot be considered a wise” – Lao-Tse
Wisdom is about searching, rather than finding categorical and definitive answers. Therefore, stopping on the journey to the search for truth implies abandoning the path of wisdom. When we believe that we have reached the absolute truth, an involution occurs. That is why we need to continually challenge our beliefs and ideas, daring to explore other concepts outside our comfort zone.
7. “We shall have not better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those we have at present” – Thomas Alva Edison
It is not about feeling totally dissatisfied, but about being aware that our borders can always expand a little more. The secret lies in feeling happy with what we have here and now, as we look to the future with more ambitious goals that move away the fear of getting out of our comfort zone.
8. “The only thing that is stopping you from where you are to where you want to go is your comfort zone” – Dhaval Gaudier
On many occasions the comfort zone becomes a justification to maintain the state of things, so as not to take risks and stay in that space where we feel comfortable and relatively safe. However, we cannot achieve great things if we dare not set new goals and challenges. If we insist on staying in our comfort zone, we can have only one certainty: we will not get very far.
9. “To the degree we’re not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves” – Peter McWilliams
The comfort zone can become a boomerang that ends up turning against us. That sense of security and comfort that generates around us ends up becoming a spider web that catches us, so that our customs and habits end up controlling our lives, dictating our decisions without us noticing it. Leaving that space means taking back the reins of our life and deciding taking into consideration the place we want to reach, not the place where we are.
10. “Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills!”- T. Harv Eker
The comfort zone is the place where dreams and illusions die, where plans run aground and opportunities vanish. We are likely to feel happy in that area, but contentment is not the same as being happy. The recipe for happiness also carries a dose of risk, adventure and novelty. Therefore, limiting yourself to the known is to condemn yourself to a gray existence.
These exercises to get out of your comfort zone will help you expand your horizons without experiencing too much anxiety.
Terry O'Donnell says
Jennifer Delgado Suárez
I am the Editor of USA Dance Royal Palm Chapter Newsletter and I would like to ask permission to republish your very fine article “Science confirms: Dancing makes you happy” which is so relevant to the dance activities that our non-profit organization is trying to promote in our communities.
Your consent to re-publish your article would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Terry O’Donnell
Jennifer Delgado says
Hi Terry, of course you can republish my article. Mentioning myself and with a link to my blog. Thank you.