This challenge to give yourself every day to act on your well-being

If you had to imagine what makes you feel good every day, allows you to recharge your batteries and move forward, you would probably think of your “comfort zone”. Although for some this zone is limited to the walls of their home, when we talk about comfort zone it is not always about of a place itself.

“Each of us has our own ‘comfort zone’ which, more than a real place, is a psychological, emotional and behavioral construction which defines the routine of our daily life, defines Abigail Brenner, psychiatrist, for Psychology Today. Being in your comfort zone involves familiarity, safety and security. » It is this zone that allows us to be comfortable, calm, to maintain our emotional balance and to protect ourselves as much as possible worries and anxiety.

Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone

If creating a comfort zone is a form of coping strategy that allows us to feel good, stepping out of that zone “when it’s time to transition, grow, and transform” might also act on our well-being. In the One Good Thing section of Stylistdedicated to mental health specialists who deliver their main advice to remember on a daily basis to get better, the author Shelby Leigh invited us to challenge ourselves every day to get out of our comfort zone.

“We have anxieties and fears that prevent us from achieving our goals and we do not systematically take steps to improve or overcome them,” she believes. By committing to doing just one small thing each week, you’ll be taking actionable steps that you can actually stick to and see results from. » To achieve this, the expert advisesgo there step by step. Start by defining an overall goal, whether personal or professional, then imagine smaller goals. If you want to make friends, start by joining a local virtual group that shares an interest with you, she illustrates. If you want to be more comfortable during your public interventions, watch videos on the subject, then practice in front of a mirror, then in front of a trusted person. Gradually climb the ladder.

Getting out of your comfort zone: real benefits for mental health

While stepping out of your comfort zone may be understandably uncomfortable at first, the benefits will undoubtedly be felt in the long term. “When you can prove to yourself that you can do something you thought you couldn’t do, it builds your confidence,” says Shelby Leigh. Over time, you’ll doubt yourself less because you’ll have a list of all the things you thought you couldn’t do, but proved yourself wrong. »

Leaving your comfort zone means taking the risk of feeling stress, fear, even anxiety, and failing, but it also means giving yourself the opportunity to change, evolve, grow and transform yourselfrecalls Abigail Brenner. “Every time you try something new and allow yourself to be open to whatever experience comes your way, you learn and expand your repertoire of life skills and self-knowledge. In doing so, you also expand your comfort zone,” explains the psychiatrist. This daily challenge can be likened to exposure therapy to the objects of your fears and anxieties and will help you overcome them. It allows you to achieve your goals, strengthen your self-confidence, strengthen your resilience or even gain autonomy, lists the website of the Harvard Summer School. A challenge claimed by Shelby Leigh, plagued by many doubts in the past, who dreamed of becoming a writer. After overcoming the first challenge of sharing one of her poems anonymously online, she is now the author of several bestselling books.