皆さんには日々コンフォートゾーン 、すなわち「居心地のいい場所」から抜け出してみようと言うお話をしています。それは成長するために必要なことなのですが、今回はあえてコンフォートゾーンの内側に一歩踏み込むことで、心の安定・平和を獲得し、日々の忙しさから逃れ気分転換をすることがいかに大切かということに気づかされることがあったのでお話しようと思います。
You may have heard me talk about the benefits of stepping OUT OF your comfort zone.
Stepping out of your comfort zone means doing something uncomfortable – like giving a business presentation or telling a colleague that you disagree with his idea.
Stepping out of your comfort zone
When we step out of our comfort zone like this, it takes courage and often feels scary. But when we’ve done the thing that made us uncomfortable, we enjoy the benefits – like getting our message across in a presentation or resolving a conflict with a colleague and finding a better solution for the company.
Then our comfort zone grows!
A recent experience made me look at my comfort zone in a different way…
Stepping INTO your comfort zone?
I spent a lovely, relaxing day with two university friends.
We went to the Titanic Spa – a converted warehouse in Yorkshire, UK, and enjoyed the pool, jacuzzi, heat and ice experience (throwing crushed ice at each other!), relaxation room, massage, and lovely food.
The highlight for me was the facial. At the end of the treatment, I still had my eyes closed. I felt the therapist tie something to my left wrist. Then she gently pressed my wrist into the massage bed, as if she was silently communicating an important message to me.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the band on my wrist that said, “Comfort Zone.”
How interesting!
I’d been thinking of my comfort zone as something to GET OUT OF. But this was a type of comfort zone to GET INTO!
The band was a reminder of the importance of taking time to relax and refresh.
After taking that time, I felt energized and eager to get back to my business.
No more burnout
In the past, I’ve experienced burnout multiple times – taking me to hospital in an ambulance and to a psychotherapist’s office. I worked so hard to keep everyone happy and forgot to look after myself.
Now, I’ve changed my attitude and behavior, so that instead of saying to myself “I don’t have time,” I say, “I have time to do what’s important for me.”
Talking with clients, I know that many push themselves hard to meet other people’s expectations and end up feeling stressed and suffering health problems. We can’t be our best for our families, friends, clients, and colleagues if we don’t look after ourselves.
How about you? What’s really important for you? Do you take time to get INTO your comfort zone?