Imagine that you are wrapped in blankets, drinking tea on a winter night and will be like that for hours, days, weeks. At some point, your back will start to hurt and you will get tired of being there. This is how the comfort zone works: instead of making you comfortable, it leaves you tired and without energy.
But how do you know if you are in this situation? Check out the following six signs.
1. You don’t wake up excited
It is normal to wake up lazily and, depending on the day, without motivation, but waking up like this every day is a sign that something is wrong. Whoever is in the comfort zone is discouraged by a number of factors, but all can be reduced to one: the daily life is no longer exciting. So, you don’t have a good expectation for the rest of the day.
2. You’re unsure
One of the main characteristics of the comfort zone is the fear of trying. Whether to change jobs, to start a new course, or to talk to someone you’ve never spoken to, you need to have a dose of self-confidence, even if it’s just to take the first step. Those in the comfort zone often question their own abilities and stop taking risks because of this insecurity.
3. You are stagnant
You don’t have to get used to a bad situation. This is called stagnation, and it is one of the main symptoms of the comfort zone. Those who are stagnant stay in a job that they don’t like, without ever looking for something better, because they don’t want to lose benefits.
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Or don’t switch courses in college because you don’t want to have to start from scratch and end up in a career you hate. The same happens with people who do not update, do not seek to improve, are not interested in their own professional or personal growth.
4. You no longer have the same productivity
The drop in productivity shows that your comfort zone can harm even other people. If you feel discouraged, stagnant and aimless, it is clear that your performance will drop and you will not be able to produce as before. Delaying deadlines or delivering mediocre tasks, being in the comfort zone can greatly impact the quality of your work.
5. You say “no” automatically
When you are in the comfort zone, any step out of it seems too risky. So, you end up saying “no” to basically everything: going to a new restaurant, watching a different movie, visiting a city you’ve never been to, etc.
6. You are always procrastinating
Even if everyone procrastinates a little in some area of life, those in the comfort zone become a professional procrastinator. You can see this through the expressions used: “one day I will take an English course”, “one day I will go to this bar”, “one day I will enroll in the gym”.
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Reading the signs above, do you identify yourself? So it’s time to think of strategies to get out of this situation. Some actions you can take are:
- take the first step – It seems more frightening than it really is, but enroll in a course, ask for the email of that person you want to talk to, start reading a book and leave the next step for tomorrow;
- say “yes” to the next invitation you receive – Ignore the insecurity and try something new;
- expand your horizons – It can be watching a documentary, trying out a new hobby or training your skills;
- try something new every day – It doesn’t have to be something big. For example, you can eat in a place you have never been, listen to an album by an unknown band, see an unprecedented art exhibition etc.
These attitudes need not be big changes, because the important thing is to take the first step. So, you are going at least a little further than before and have the necessary disposition to get out of your comfort zone and discover what awaits you out there.
