(Newswire.net — February 19, 2021) — Remember the days back in school?
Remember how scary it was when you needed to do a presentation in front of your classmates for the first time or was told to go hand out questionnaires for an economics project around the campus?
I used to be the same way. As someone who is more on the creative side, I was never good at talking to strangers. The simple thought of standing in front of a crowd would give skyrocketing anxiety and if I can choose, I’d rather be hiding behind my laptop screen, typing.
And one day, I decided I needed to change. I needed to walk out of my comfort zone because otherwise, nothing will change in my life. I would be as shy as I always was. I would be doing the same thing I’ve always been doing… And that thought scared me.
So, I took one step.
And my life changed.
I impressed myself with my abilities
The first thing I noticed was that I was actually capable of doing a lot of the things I thought I couldn’t do. It took a little bit of practice, yes. There were days I felt burnt out and not motivated at all, that was true too.
But in general, I was impressed by the things I was able to do that I once thought was impossible: public speaking, networking, running a business (I am a founder and a CEO of A&E, influencer marketing agency) … In return, it gave me a ginormous confidence boost and gave me the most amazing feelings I’ve ever felt.
I found new opportunities
Walking out of my comfort zone is like entering a brand new world. Literally. I found out about so many new things, whether it was getting connected with someone new, or getting involved in my community (which was something I didn’t do before), or trying out new activities.
Eventually, many new opportunities showed up on my path. Some helped with my career (I ended up teaching myself graphic design and evolved into a branding agency NYC as well), others allowed me to build friendships that lasted through the years. I could not believe how much I was missing out, and I’d never believed it even if someone told me that until I stepped out of my comfort zone.
I learned to deal with my stress in much better ways
Inevitably, stepping out of my comfort zone brought me a lot of stress at the beginning. It forced me to analyze where my stress came and learn to respond to it in a healthier way.
Also, because I stepped outside of my comfort zone, I had new ways of coping that weren’t accessible to me before. So eventually, I used what I learned beyond my comfort zone to better myself and built a far more efficient process to care for my mental health.
In conclusion, stepping out of my comfort zone completely changed my life.
It made me braver. It helped me gain confidence and self-understanding. It opened up doors to new opportunities and helped me make new friends. I no longer feel lonely or lacking support. I felt more at home than ever now that I broke down walls I built around myself.
Ever since I stepped out of my comfort zone, I feel empowered and motivated.
So if you haven’t done that, you need to. It’s easy, just take your first step, the rest will fall into place.