Comfort Zone

At some point in our lives we have all heard about the importance of getting out of our comfort zone. Although I have always appreciated this concept, most of the time it is outside circumstance that forces me out of my comfort zone. Such as the current Global Pandemic which began in March, and fasting Ramadan alone in London from end of April to end of May (during quarantine). I was forced to take charge and acclimate myself to find structure and routine in all areas of my life. Luckily, the lack of distraction and no social engagements allowed me to put 100% of my focus and energy into achieving both my personal and professional goals. What helped me the most was the fact that I chose to see the glass half full instead of half empty. My positive mindset is what kept me going, as well as my surrendering to God and the universe. Knowing that all I can do at this stage is make the best out of the situation. I could have easily fallen into depression, complained about current circumstance, and been negative. Instead I chose to turn to light, and realised that change is only possible when we are put in a tight spot or situation that drive us out of our comfort zone. I also learned that change takes time, effort, and persistence.

We have been facing another pandemic, that of Instant gratification which can be defined as: “the desire to experience pleasure or fulfilment without delay or deferment.” We want things when we want it and we want it now, we have forgotten the notion and practice of patience. With the developments of social media and phone apps, we can get a taxi or uber in minutes, order food or groceries and receive them within half an hour. And order anything we need or acquire online with a click of a button. “Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, are all contributing factors to this notion. This can also be referred to as “Lustprinzip”, the pleasure principle. In Freudian psychoanalysis, the pleasure principle is “the instinctive seeking of pleasure and avoiding of pain to satisfy biological and psychological needs.” The addiction to instant gratification is very real and very dangerous. Many of us have been living in a bubble that needed to eventually burst. In the past, I noticed that whenever I had an issue or problem to solve I would want to solve it immediately with little or no effort. For instance, with work, I would outsource help without doing or understanding the work myself, constraining me to continue hiring outside help. In terms of weight gain, I would travel to health retreats and spas to do a quick detox for one week or ten days only to eventually gain everything back again within a month. As the underlying issues were still present, I didn’t change my ways, I didn’t put effort in learning work material myself in terms of accounting or sales projections, and I didn’t change the way I ate, and didn’t exercise regularly. I realise now that we have all been conditioned to think in this manner. We want an instant solution to all our issues with putting in the least amount of effort. Not only did this prevent me from growth and self-development, but I also wasted a lot of money in the process. We have forgotten the deep-rooted values of patience, persistence and effort.

For the last 3 and a half months I have been meditating, breathing, praying, and working out daily. I run every other day and practice Pilates/Yoga or strength training in the days where I don’t run. I have been on a gluten free and dairy free diet and feel amazing. I have a structured work routine with daily goals that I make sure to follow through. And when I am stuck I do my research and learn how to tackle the problem on my own. I have been reading a lot which further contributed to my learning.

I choose to discuss the topic of “comfort zone” because as I have continued to run in the last months, and became fit, I limited myself in that I would make 5 km my target. I began in March with 3 km and eventually got to 5 km and occasionally when I felt a surge of energy I would run up to 7 km. The other day my dear friend Eli came by, and mentioned how she runs 10 km for an hour, I gasped in disbelief saying how my limit is 5 km and I don’t think I could do more than that. She encouraged me to try it out and mentioned that it’s all about self-pacing and that it is in fact possible. This morning I set my Fitbit goal to 10km and I was quite nervous at first, but I decided to talk to myself from time to time, telling myself that I can do this. And guess what? I did it and I felt incredible. There was no point where I felt tired or exhausted and I didn’t even take any breaks. I had developed a limiting belief where I stayed in my comfort zone of 5 km, I conditioned my mind to think that this was my daily limit and this was the first time I realised that I had to force myself out of my comfort zone. As humans we continue to grow and develop and once you hit a benchmark there’s only one way to go… Up! This experience has taught me that we should first be aware of ourselves and be able to check in with ourselves from time to time to make sure we aren’t stagnant.
Another example was my spontaneous Sunday with my friend Danah. I met her for lunch in Waltby st Market, an area I have never explored before, and she took me to London Tower Bridge and we walked along the Thames river, all the way to the South bank, exploring Borough Market, Shakespeare’s Globe, outdoor bookstores and the London Eye. We also passed by St James Park, which I have never been before. I couldn’t believe that in the last 4 months I stayed in my comfort zone, I was accustomed to West London, Hyde Park and Holland Park if I was feeling adventurous. My point is, it was the most amazing day and I realized that we should push ourselves more often and be aware of all the endless possibilities that surround us and not be conditioned by our limiting beliefs or staying too comfortable. Wherever you are, there is so much to see, so much to do, and so much more to learn. After all, we did term it the “evolution” of mankind, so let us continue to evolve and grow and not stay stuck in our comfort.

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