The Comfort Zone Myth: Why Being Comfortable is Actually Essential for Learning and Growth

"The more we can bring our body and mind into a state of balance, the more conducive we are to learning, creating, and experiencing the world in all its richness." - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Are you constantly pushing yourself to do new things and get out of your comfort zone? While growth and learning are important, it's equally important to give yourself time to integrate and anchor yourself back into safety. In fact, pushing yourself too far out of your comfort zone can actually hinder your ability to learn and grow. In this blog post, I'll be discussing the difference between excellence and perfectionism and how to engage with your edge in a way that supports your learning and growth. So if you're ready to learn how to be more comfortable while still pushing yourself to grow, keep reading!

As someone who has always been driven to succeed, I know what it's like to constantly push myself to do more and be better. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with striving for excellence, there comes a point where the pursuit of perfection can become harmful to our growth and development.

In fact, the idea that we must constantly be pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones in order to learn and grow is a myth. The truth is, learning can only take place when we are in a resourced state. When we are constantly pushing ourselves to the edge without taking the time to anchor ourselves back into safety, we are essentially triggering our nervous systems' protective strategies, which shuts down our ability to learn and grow.

Think about it: our nervous system processes all threats as if we are about to be eaten by a sabretooth tiger. In that state of mind, self-actualization is not a priority. We are too busy trying to survive.

So, if we cannot push ourselves into learning, what can we do? The answer is simple: we need to support ourselves for our learning and growth. We need to engage in our edge in a way that doesn't trigger our nervous system. We need to play with that place of having one foot in resource, so we can touch into the uncertainty.

One way to do this is to be comfortable. Yes, you read that right. Being comfortable is not the same as being in our comfort zone. As recovering perfectionists and overachievers, we often associate discomfort with progress. We think that unless we are constantly pushing ourselves to do more and be better, we are not growing. But that is simply not true.

In fact, when we allow ourselves to be comfortable, when we allow things to happen naturally and peacefully, we are creating an environment that is conducive to growth and learning. We are no longer triggering our nervous system's protective strategies, and we are free to explore and experiment without fear of failure.

Of course, this is easier said than done. As someone who struggles with perfectionism, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to let go of the idea that we must constantly be pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones in order to grow. Let me tell you clearly that you don’t need to brutalise yourself in order to learn and grow.

So, the next time you catch yourself thinking that you are spending too much time in your comfort zone, I urge you to remember this: learning can only take place when we are resourced. We must support ourselves for our learning and growth, and sometimes, that means being comfortable.

Ask yourself, what do you need to do to support yourself for your learning and growth? How can you engage in your edge in a way that doesn't trigger your nervous system? And most importantly, how might you be a little more comfortable?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. How do you support yourself for your learning and growth? How do you engage in your edge in a way that doesn't trigger your nervous system? Please leave a comment below, and let's continue this conversation.