3 Powerful tips to survive and thrive a comfort zone challenge
“My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I’ve pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.”
I admit, I had a bit of a freak out the morning that my 4-day solo hike began.
As I drove the 3 hours to the starting point of my walking journey, I fully expected a typical last minute wave of anxiety. I have always believed that being a little nervous simply means you care and that the novelty of a comfort zone challenge is a healthy thrill! That morning I was particularly apprehensive about the first day of walking because while I love hiking and am reasonably fit I really hate hills and day 1 was all uphill!
I had plenty of time before I needed to be on the trail, so to help quell some of my uncertainty, I took a detour to check out the location of my first night’s accommodation. As I drove through Goldstream Heights, a neighbourhood of huge houses on the summit of the Malahat, the extra distance from trail end to AirBnB uphill didn’t satisfy my need for more information, it scared the bejeezus out of me!
What I had read in my research hadn’t given me a very clear picture of the level of challenge that I would be facing. Comments ranged from “easy” to “do not attempt if you are not an accomplished hiker.” So when I saw the route from trail end to accommodation was like adding an additional Mount Everest (see my healthy anxiety turning to panic?) I went straight into problem solving mode.
Too much out of my comfort zone
I am strong, I am capable, and I knew I could do it, but I realized in that moment that there were other things that were also out of my comfort zone that I cared more about. Being solo, not getting lost, hiking on a brand new path, starting a multi-day adventure of my own making were all new to me. The additional physical trial on top of what I suspected would be a challenging day prompted me to pivot right there and then. But even as I was mid-pivot, my thoughts went straight to judging myself. “I’m cheating!” “People will think I caved!”
Luckily I was able to tap into my inner resilience and listened to her sweet voice on my shoulder saying, “NO honey, this is just you being resourceful. You are a great planner and brilliant at adapting in the moment whenever you have new information. Making a better plan on the fly is actually you being at your best!” (I like her!)
I borrowed from common inn-to-inn walking options in Europe and patched together a last minute plan to have my heavy pack transported to my first destination so that I could face my scary first day (uphill) with a lighter load. I also chose to rustle up a ride from the trail end to the door of my airbnb. As soon as this decision was made my plan altered and the panic lifted. So while the pivot to reduce the physical challenge on day one was initially born out of fear, I prioritized other areas for my comfort zone challenge.
The hills didn’t turn out to be as hard as I feared and in hindsight I would have managed walking the entire route to the AirBnB with my big pack. Don’t get me wrong, the hike was still challenging. The first day's incline was a heart-pounder but it was only for one kilometer followed by another eight kms of less steep but steady incline. On returning home, I did some research on navigating a comfort zone challenge. I have summarized what I learned into three tips to help travel out of your comfort zone in a way that is productive and healthy. Perhaps I would have felt more accomplished had I not made my day one changes, but I know with absolute certainty that I wouldn’t have had as much fun.
Comfort zone challenge tip #1
Give your brain room to change!
Brains are amazing. They go into growth-mode when we give them new experiences to process. Called neuroplasticity, it basically means that in response to learning something or being put in a new situation, our brain forms, reorganizes, and strengthens its synaptic connections. You are boosting brain health with the unfamiliar because it reacts by forming new connections as it tries to make sense of the new and unusual stimuli. These new experiences can feel uncomfortable because they live on the outskirts of your comfort zone.
comfort zone = being anxiety neutral
comfort zone challenge = inviting anxiety
I see comfort zones sort of like amoeba’s. Their blobby shape moves, mophs and changes as we live our unique lives. These “creatures of comfort” have different personalities. Mine has been acclimatized to my strong need for novelty - so its shape is agile as I encourage it to inch (not leap) towards the unknown and take small gambles between experiencing fear and discovering new pleasures.
Some people have a low affinity for novelty. Their amoeba is solid, strong and stationary. They take fewer risks into the unknown. Comfort zone challenges are not on their bucket lists! I love my friends who are like this - but they aren’t likely to be my travel inspirations or companions! Other people’s comfort zones are extremely fluid leading them to what most of us would see as risky and extreme adventure seeking.
Push the boundaries of your comfort zone to engage your brain. The process of learning causes your comfort zone to shift and grow, and what was once new, uncomfortable or even scary, becomes anxiety neutral. But there is a limit! At some point, your brain stops being engaged in learning when an unhealthy panic or fear takes over. As my freak-out demonstrated, I found out where my comfort zone challenge boundary existed and how far away from the edge I was ready and willing to go.
Give your brain some room to grow but do so in combination with the remaining ones to be kind as well as encouraging to your brain!
Comfort zone challenge tip #2
Focus on you and not on other people’s perceptions or expectations
“You are brave” is something I hear frequently regarding my first solo journey. I really didn’t feel very brave and am perplexed by the comment. I have concluded that it reflects someone else’s fear. They are imagining doing something that is out of THEIR comfort zone and projecting it onto me.
Do you need to feel brave or courageous when you go outside your comfort zone? Maybe it’s something else entirely like gumption or resourcefulness or optimism. I did need to draw on some inner strength or confidence but I don't think bravery had anything to do with it for me.
I did find myself getting sucked into a higher level of anxiety based on the comments from others. The problem with people projecting THEIR fear on me, was that the more I heard it, the more I became afraid because they were suggesting that I SHOULD be afraid.
You have calibrated life when most of what you fear has the titillating prospect of adventure.
Nassim Taleb
Comfort zone challenge tip #3
Be selective and push at your own pace
Are there areas of your life (or upcoming trip) where being too comfortable does more harm than good? We can be selective about our goals for growth to help keep novelty in balance. It's ok to pick and choose where to expand your comfort zone (or inch out of it) and where to stay grounded and feel safe & easy.
Growing and shifting your comfort zone is not a race. You don’t have to jump into the deep end before taking swimming lessons. Give yourself the grace to ease into things in ways that work for you. Here are a few things to pay attention:
Notice when normal healthy excited stress starts being unhealthy and debilitating.
Take time to reflect on what lessons about yourself you take away after trips outside your comfort zone. Could you have pushed farther? Faster? In other areas?
Ask yourself, what are the things you “wish” you could do or could have done? Where do you yearn to go or grow?
My first, modest, solo travel experience has helped me focus on the areas that truly gave me joy and I plan to use these insights for future trips and planning because I want to expand my comfort zone. Yes - I think another long distance walk is in my future and I feel confident that a similar inn-to- inn walk is my style. I’ll definitely be checking out the elevation changes to either avoid or be better prepared for hills!
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