The Real Purpose of Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

It’s not about enduring pain, but gaining strength, wisdom, and resilience

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

You talk about “getting out of the comfort zone” as it’s supposed to be a simple exercise on suffering, as if the distress is enough alone.

So if you’re already suffering in your cozy comfort zone, why would you want to get out?

But that’s not how it works

“Getting out of the comfort zone” does not mean to blindly jump into difficult situations just because we’re bored masochists in search of new painful experiences.

The discomfort is not the point, it’s just a residual side-effect. Stepping out is about what we get when we step out of it: the learning experience.

Other things are uncomfortable too. Suffering is not a universal quality of growth and prosperity. Not all that makes you suffer is worth going through.

So why this “getting out of the comfort zone” makes us suffer?

Because we’re stepping out of the familiar. Don’t imagine the comfort zone as a cozy place with nice views and a chaise long — as you said yourself, you can be miserable inside of it. The comfort zone can be defined as “whatever is familiar with you”.