Stretching your comfort zone is scary enough as it is. It can be even more terrifying if you suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues or chronic illness. There’s the fear that you’ll overextend yourself and end up relapsing or having a flare-up.
But there’s a difference between stretching your comfort zone and stepping outside of it. Stretching your comfort zone involves expanding your horizons. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is like jumping into the deep end of the pool when you don’t know how to swim.
I like to think of stretching my comfort zone like stretching a rubber band. We should be stretched just enough to create some tension, but not enough that we break. Like rubber bands, we can “bounce back,” but also like rubber bands, the damage can be irreparable if we take it too far.
For me, it was time to do something different and unexpected. It was time to show myself that I’m capable of more than I think I am.
Here’s how to stretch your comfort zone without overextending yourself.
[Read more…] about How to Stretch Your Comfort Zone