Continuing on the previous post ‘Why Avoid the Organizational Comfort Zone Retreat Fallacy‘, let us now consider stress and the tendency to retreat to our comfort zone on a personal level, in particular when we stretch out and we happen to encounter a storm.
Our comfort zone is a zone where we have been successful, possibly recognized. It is a zone where we think we are protected. Hence our tendency to try to revert to it when things go bad.
A common, personal example: I have been raised to think that salaried employment is a safe zone, whereas being on one’s own is a dangerous adventure. Thus when things go stormy I tend to think I should revert to salaried employment as soon as possible. I know that it is an obsolete concept, I observe around me that employees are no safer, but I still can’t help to have these thoughts – so much I was conditioned into this idea of the Industrial Age about being an employee.
We all need to have safe havens, where we feel supported. It is typically our family circle. It is not the same as our comfort zone; actually part of our families might not be overly supportive of some efforts we make to stretch out. Yet we can count on our safe haven. This should be the support we need to overcome the natural tendency to run back to our ‘comfort zone’ when things go bad.
The more I think about it, I think that if you’ve stretched sufficiently outside of your comfort zone, you should rather try to go even further. Because:
- that is what will make a significant difference with 99% of the people who freak out and flee back to comfort,
- that’s the moment to maintain the maximum flexibility and adaptability – not to enclose oneself in a closed, defensive location.
When the storm comes, create the difference. Leverage on your safe haven to stretch even more out of your comfort zone. Remain flexible, and find your way in the storm.
