Kind of a mouth full but I feel like it’s not discussed enough: the importance of getting out of your comfort zone! 

Everyone hates doing it because of how uncomfortable it can really be, but nothing is worse than remaining the same. 

Growing up, I feel like a lot of people can agree that they abided by restrictions and only stuck to the things that they were familiar with. Whether that be people, friends, environments, you name it, they are the common things that most people grab a hold on and have a hard time letting go. 

For me, I have always been a picky eater so branching out on restaurant menus or trying things that the people around me were eating was always an instant no. 

But as I get older, I have figured out how fun it is to try new foods, once you get past your initial fear, which is really hard to accept. 

I wanted to start with a more tangible example, but now it’s time for the fun stuff.

Getting out of your comfort zone SOCIALLY.

This idea still makes me cringe, if I’m going to be honest.

But, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself and here’s why:

1. You build friendships and relationships
2. You develop interacting and socializing skills

And most importantly,

3. YOU GAIN EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT

That’s the most important takeaway in my eyes, because if you aren’t allowing room for growth and change then you simply aren’t escaping your comfort zone.

As you continue to discover the ins and outs of all things and life, but more specifically college, and figuring out your sense of self, it becomes easy to identify the strategies that get you by. 

But, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself what you’re gaining, or if you could explore new routes by telling yourself that there may be better options.

Testing yourself and just pushing yourself just a little more in these uncomfortable situations can be a good starting point.The last thing you want to do is overwhelm yourself, so maybe allowing yourself to get a taste of it can help you to better assess.

From experience, I can tell you the first few times will most likely be failures, and that’s okay.

When first coming to college, I considered myself extremely socially awkward and shy.

So, when I first built up enough courage to allow myself to attempt getting out of my comfort zone, it was hard. When I say hard, I mean leaving social events randomly and not telling a single soul. 

But in the process of escaping your comfort zone, you latch onto traits and characteristics that you are attracted to in these environments, specifically people. New people that are in similar boats as you, and over time make the uncomfortable situations more feasible. 

Once you get a better general sense of escaping your comfort zone, you can begin to mentally prepare yourself for the majority of them in a way. 

This might only make sense in my brain, but the more attempts you have to engage in these situations, the more comfortable you will become in these uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations.

There are a million ways to grow as a person, but I’m a big believer that experiences are a key ingredient and the only way to gain experience is to escape your comfort zone and allow something new into your life.

Now I don’t want you to think that I think I know everything and that I have had my fair share of experiences, because I have not. But there’s comfort in knowing that the future holds endless more experiences that start with uncomfortableness, and for some reason that excites me.

I think a lot of the way I keep my chill is by being open to all things no matter how unfamiliar or new they may be and just going with the flow. Never take anything that serious because in the end no one is paying that much attention to you. 

So, the least you can do is be vulnerable and see what happens. It could end up becoming the best experience for you.