Getting out of your comfort zone: yes, but how? We'll show you!

By Nathalie Pouillard

Published: October 30, 2024

Whether you're an entrepreneur, an employee, a student, a housewife or househusband... the question we're going to tackle affects absolutely everyone: how do you get out of your comfort zone?

We'll give you some food for thought, some theories, some quotes, and some practical advice on how to dare, both in your personal and professional life.

What's on the agenda? New collaborative trends to help you change your habits at work. Because you have to work on yourself, but with others, it's easier and more enjoyable!

See all software Collaboration

A virtuous or vicious circle?

The comfort zone: definition

The comfort zone can be described in several ways:

the psychological state in which you feel comfortable and secure,
the set of habits and behaviors that reassure you,
the set of skills and knowledge you've acquired,
the space where your uncertainty, lack and vulnerability are reduced to a minimum.

The term may be composed of a positive word, "comfort", but it has a negative connotation, as it implies :

immobility,
routine,
ease,
laissez-faire, etc.

Some people refer to the comfort zone as a " golden prison ", which says it all: you feel good in it, but it locks you in and prevents you from evolving.
It's the limited space of the "known" and the "mastered".

Several types of comfort

The quest for the comfort zone responds to your need for control, out of fear of:

failure,
change
of losing what you've already acquired,
personal failure.

You may very well take on incredible challenges at work, while being more "skittish" about other things (love, sport, etc.).
It all depends on your level of confidence, developed or damaged by your experiences, the positive or negative attitude of those around you, in short, your successes and failures, your encouragements and traumas.

Who does it concern?

All of us! At one time or another, or on a more permanent basis:

the anxious
the unmotivated,
the fearful,
the lazy,
the "satisfied as they are",
the overwhelmed,
unaware", etc.

The comfort zone has advantages

You're in it, or feel in it:

efficient,
expert on the subject,
valued,
stress- and fatigue-free.

Some interesting theories

There are several theories on the fundamental needs and passions that contribute to personal development. Here are just a few of them.

The Coué method (1926)

Psychotherapist Émile Coué wrote Maîtrise de soi-même par l'autosuggestion consciente.
He recommends repeating 20 times in a row, three times a day, the formula: "Every day, from every point of view, I'm getting better and better."
Although he died the same year (at the age of 69), the Coué method was born.
Among his observations was the law of reverse effort: imagination always wins out over willpower. A way to overcome prejudices.

Maslow's pyramid and humanistic psychology (1943)

According to Maslow's pyramid of needs (established by psychologist Abraham Maslow), you have 5 fundamental needs that you satisfy one after the other, from the most essential (the base) to the most "superfluous" (the consecration). This is the need for self-actualization.

Behance.net

Some people have even taken a humorous look at it, to reflect the needs of our hyper-connected times:

Maslow's pyramid shows that a comfort zone is not necessarily negative.
It's also a benchmark, a necessary stage in our growth, in the achievement of a goal. Your comfort zone is your springboard to fulfillment.
But you have to get out of it.

Positive thinking (1952)

Norman Vincent Peale wrote the book The Power of Positive Thinking, describing how to transform negative emotions into positive attitudes. He also wrote Quand on veut, on peut! in 1979.

Many other books have been inspired by his work, such as Mindset by Benjamin Smith, some of whose ideas are presented here on video:

Neuro-linguistic programming or NLP (1973)

Neuro-linguistic programming is a pragmatic approach to applied psychology developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
One of its principles is to transmit "know-how" (competencies) and "interpersonal skills" to those who need them, in order to achieve self-improvement.
In particular, some NLP interventions aim to remove the obstacles we put in our way, due to "limiting beliefs" such as "I'll never be able to do it", "it's not for me", etc., which have an impact on our self-esteem.

Watch this video to find out more:

The ikigai

Do you know the Japanese ikigai test?
Ikigai translates as "reason to be" or "reason to get up every morning".
It's a combination of the words ikiri (to live) and gai (wish fulfillment).
The concept is to find meaning in what you do, to find your path, to have a goal - in short, not to resign yourself to the comfort zone.
It's a great way to find your dream job, a personal challenge that requires you to reflect on your talents, achievements, tastes and values.

Some people find their ikigai in their family life, others in the development of an art, or in both.

Source etre-optimiste.fr

Here' s how it works: first fill in each outer part of the circle (arrowed above), then complete the area where the key words "profession", "mission", "passion" and "vocation" are found with words, ideas, feelings or expressions that summarize for you the interactions between the two circles that intersect at this point. Do the same with all the following blank spaces: how would you sum up the notions that surround them in a few words?

See also: The ikigai, a tool for knowing what suits you best at work - Europe 1

How do you get out of your comfort zone?

Getting out of your comfort zone: definition

It's the action that results from awareness, from the decision to overcome one's own blockages, to push back one's own limits, to be more fulfilled and happier.
A form of letting go.

Paradoxically, getting out of one's comfort zone "means taking back control of one's life, putting oneself in the driver's seat to become the person one wants to be" (source www.psychologies.com), when in fact one needs to get out of one's control zone to do just that.

Stepping out of your zone of control means moving into a new one: the zone of learning or discovery.

The learning or discovery zone

This is where the " risks of success " lie.

Its benefits :

development of your performance and yourself,
increase in your skills,
gradually expanding your comfort zone,
intellectual agility,
creativity,
improved self-confidence.

Why step out of your comfort zone?

Where magic happens...

to be happy,
to increase your potential,
to satisfy your ego,
to regain your self-confidence,
to enjoy new experiences,
to acquire new skills and knowledge,
to meet new people,
to surprise yourself,
to face your fears,
to escape boredom,
to make your own luck,
to resist aging and maintain social ties,
to discover a passion.

→ to be alive, in short!

This cartoon video is a great summary (watch to the end) 😀 :

#truestories

Please note: these anecdotes are taken from true stories, and any resemblance to real people is not at all coincidental.

"I resigned from my job for a new professional experience without knowing if it would work or if I would like it, today I wonder why I didn't do it sooner".

"My best friend cancelled a month before our big departure for a roadtrip through Russia. Rather than cancel, I went on my own and did what I wanted when I wanted, even meeting a whole host of people who would never have spoken to me if it had been just the two of us."

"I used to panic at the thought of being 20 metres underwater, but diving has always attracted me. I did an internship with UCPA: one dive a day, I'd better like it! I've just come back with my Level I diploma and I've already booked my next stay for Level II".

atmosphere-citation

One foot on the gas, the other on the brake

You are responsible for your own well-being, the one with the detonator.
If you don't do anything to evolve, you'll end up in an uncomfortable situation.

But don't expect to revolutionize your life overnight. Your foundations are what make you who you are today, for the better too.

To begin with, it's important to keep your challenges surmountable and attainable, to avoid frustration. Small victories will make you want to go further, at your own pace.

1) Take stock of your personal and/or professional situation

What do you do for pleasure? Out of habit? Out of fear?
What zone do you think you're in today? Comfort, learning, panic?
Is your comfort zone still as comfortable as ever?

You can get help from a professional, friends or family. Their perspective, while not very objective as far as your loved ones are concerned, can help you to become aware of certain blockages that you may not be aware of.

2) What are you afraid of?

Your own judgment?
The judgment of others?
The unknown?

3) Stay positive!

Rather than considering what you might lose, what might you gain by breaking out of your routine?
Don't doubt that people value you, sometimes more than you value yourself.

4) Innovate, dare!

Do something on a regular basis, once a month, once a year, something you've never done before (a restaurant, a trip).
Sort out your emotional "ball and chain", and you'll feel lighter and freer.

5) Be persistent and patient

Good things come to those who wait.

6) Take the first step

Are you putting off a request for training month after month? Requesting a raise? Signing up for a gym membership?
Make an appointment with the organization offering the training you want, your employer, the nearest gym. Step 1: achieved ✅

14 quotes to encourage you!

100% of winners tried their luck...! FDJ

Your only limits are the ones you set for yourself. Mylène Muller
Our comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there. Elisabeth Kübler Ross
The best way to overcome your fears is not to think about them. It's to get out there and face them. Dale Carnegie
What a man can be, he must be. Abraham Maslow
Insanity is always behaving the same way and expecting a different result. Albert Einstein
A person who has never made a mistake has never tried to innovate. Albert Einstein
Life is a challenge to be met, a happiness to be earned, an adventure to be attempted. Mother Teresa
To conquer fear, action is the best method. Susan Jeffers
It's not because things are difficult that we don't dare, it's because we don't dare that they are difficult. Seneca
The greatest failure is not having the courage to dare. Abbé Pierre
He who says he's too old to learn has probably always been too old to learn. H.S. Haskins
The key to daring is knowing how far you can go too far. Jean Cocteau
If you don't decide your destiny, your destiny decides for you. Ironman 😄

Stepping out of your professional comfort zone

We often talk about personal development, but the comfort zone also affects professional development.
This is an area where you may be reluctant to take risks simply because it jeopardizes your basic needs (cf. Maslow), i.e. the need for (financial) security and consequently physiological needs (eating and feeding your family).

Admittedly, according to sociologist Jean Viard, you now spend only 12% of your life, on average, working (compared with 40% at the beginning of the century), as a result of :

longer schooling,
increased longevity,
changes in the law over time (rest days, weekly working hours).

But it's still an important part of your life, and one in which you need to thrive.
A lack of passion always ends up in inefficiency, demotivation or even mistakes, and the whole company suffers.

In the video on the Ikigai concept (above), journalist, author and lecturer Anne Cazaubon points out that out of every 100 people who go to work :

60% go because it's necessary,
31% go backwards (out of anxiety, anger),
9% go with enthusiasm.

Why step out of your professional comfort zone?

to exploit your full potential,
to enjoy richer experiences,
to stay motivated, avoid the routine that leads to disengagement,
to prove your own worth,
to improve your ability to adapt to unforeseen events and setbacks,
to discover new talents,
to open up to new opportunities.

6 tips for company directors and managers

Implementing new systems, questioning what you've always done, listening to what others have to say, puts you in a positive agile management dynamic.
Well-thought-out and explained change can be a source of recognition for your staff, and of better results.
The "status quo" doesn't help you, your company or your employees evolve.
The more you resist change, the more disabling and distressing it will be to catch up. Technological and managerial innovations are constantly evolving. Embrace disruption to grow.
Get help/advice from your employees who are most at ease with the new practices, and ask them for help. This will be rewarding for them, enriching for you, and will lead to greater commitment on your part.
If you make a mistake, analyze it and bounce back: it's an undeniable competitive factor. Competitors make mistakes too.

6 tips for employees

Changing your habits is a source of renewal, satisfaction and positive rethinking of your expectations and desires.
If you don't evolve, someone else will; a new recruit will be noticed and promoted in your place.
Take advantage of change to learn and enrich yourself, for it will serve you well, here or elsewhere.
Give new meaning to your professional life: are you realizing your full potential? Is there a place for you?
Consider your personal development process in harmony with others, in a team spirit. If you don't, you'll come up against new obstacles, including those of your colleagues.
If you make a mistake, explain it - it's a learning experience in itself!

Digital transformation means transformation.

See this evolution as an opportunity to learn and evolve, rather than as a constraint.
Especially if the use of new technologies saves you time, allowing you to develop in other areas!

The benefits of Software as a Service (SaaS) are manifold:

economy and freedom (no license purchase, monthly subscription with no commitment, etc.),
mobility (everything is on the Internet, so it can be consulted from your computer, tablet or smartphone),
adaptability (customized modules, technological evolutions, updates),
security (encrypted, backed-up data, etc.).

And there's no excuse: cloud software often offers free trial versions, so you can change your habits without taking any risks!

Communicate, collaborate, express yourself!

When it comes to collaboration, the group effect can be intimidating. And yet, it can also help you reveal yourself, or your collaborators. Here are a few examples.

Collaborative platforms, such as corporate social networks, give each employee a voice to share his or her ideas with others. Sharing knowledge benefits everyone and enhances the talents of each individual.
They are also spaces that encourage social learning, learning from others: a good way to challenge yourself and feel more at ease in professional exchanges.
Collaborative and social platforms in SaaS mode include Talkspirit, Jamespot and Netframe.

Some participative innovation tools also promote creativity through the management of ideas and innovations, notably: SocialJsIdées, SeeMy Social Ideation.

Video-conferencing software and online training modules (such as Mooc - Massive Open Online Courses) have opened up a new era in personal and professional learning and development (e-learning).
ICTE (Information and Communication Technologies for Education) enable people to exchange, learn and share via an interface, online and with others. We encourage you to take the initiative and communicate with your colleagues.

If you're self-employed, why not consider coworking? Born out of the need for exchange among self-employed entrepreneurs, coworking enables you to create a network to avoid isolation and encourage sharing.

Finally: professional retraining. Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone means recognizing that you've gone in the wrong direction. The Ikigai method may help you find your new path 😉