Pushing Yourself Out of your Comfort Zone at Work

By Ella Orse, Internal Media Coordinator, Spring 2020

Whether if it’s speaking in front of a crowd, bringing up an unconventional idea, or even sitting next to a new person, many of us often avoid situations that made us feel uncertain or anxious. As humans, our instincts urge us to run and I mean it makes sense, who doesn't avoid a situation that triggers our “fight or flight” response? However, avoiding situations that push us out of our comfort zone may temporary relieve our stress, but long term it just reinforces fear which is detrimental to our careers. In the communications field, it is crucial to push ourselves out of our comfort zone in order to explore new and challenging ideas. But how can we accomplish this when situations might make us feel uncomfortable? If we change the way we perceive anxiety provoking situations then we can actually use them to our advantage and let them be transformative to our personal and professional growth. There are many ways to begin embracing uncomfortable situations. 

1. Change in perspective: The way we view situations in the first place is a big reason we might feel uncomfortable. It is important to remind ourselves that nerves are part of life, everyone experiences them and they aren’t something we need to immediately push away. The situation doesn’t need to be seen as such a daunting experience in the first place if we keep things in perspective and realize no one is perfect. 

2. Self Talk: The way we talk to ourselves directly affects the how we act and feel about ourselves and external situations. In order to push through uncomfortable situations that we are capable of getting through the following situation. 

3. Don’t have a fixed mindset: It is so important to have a growth mindset, meaning that we view the brain as something that changes based on our experiences and efforts. Just because you feel nervous trying something new, doesn’t mean you will always feel that way. We are people going through growth, especially in  situations that push us out of our element. It is critical that we reassure ourselves that growth cannot be accomplished without being uncomfortable. 

Remember that at the end of the day, even when we mess up, we always end up learning and growing, so embrace the uncertainty and go for things without fear getting in the way!