EVERY SPOKEN WORD
5 min read · 1,345 words- 0:00 – 0:30
What a comfort zone is—and why staying comfortable blocks growth
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
Each of us has our own comfort zones. You have one, I have one, your mama has one. It's a psychological, emotional, or behavioral space where you think and act in ways that minimize risk and stress. It provides a space of mental security. It's easy, comfortable. There's no risk of failure. But experiencing a little stress now and then is actually a good thing. Without it, you won't experience anything new, no challenges, no risks, and no growth. If you actually want to learn to grow and be better, staying comfortable is not going
- 0:30 – 1:00
Career stakes: adaptation, courage, and missed opportunities
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
to help you. Organizational behavior professor Andy Molinsky published an article in Harvard Business Review about this very topic, but in a professional context. He shares, "As we grow and learn in our jobs and in our careers, we're constantly faced with situations where we need to adapt our behavior." It's simply a reality of the world that we live in today. And without the skill and the courage to take the leap, we can miss out on important opportunities for advancement. Basically, you don't learn if you're comfortable. But what if you go too far outside
- 1:00 – 1:30
The danger zone: destructive anxiety and performance collapse
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
your comfort zone into a place where you don't feel like you have any chance of succeeding? Well, this place actually exists and it even has a name. It's known as the zone of destructive anxiety. Here, as the name actually makes obvious, you're too stressed to be productive. You might be jittery, your heart rate might be racing, you're unable to focus, and you could have completely clouded judgment. Your performance drops off sharply. Your state then becomes a destructive force, so it doesn't sound
- 1:30 – 2:00
The sweet spot: zone of proximal development / optimal anxiety
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
so great. Where you actually want to be is somewhere between your comfort zone and your zone of destructive anxiety. Here you'll find a really happy place, this in-between space that's ideal for learning and growth. Developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky refers to this as the zone of proximal development, also known in sport as the zone of optimal anxiety, and it's where we want to be. But why? Well, in simple terms, the zone of proximal development is the space where you're challenged, but if you put in the extra effort or seek the support
- 2:00 – 2:30
Why moderate stress improves performance: the Yerkes–Dodson law
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
that you need, you can achieve the outcome. You have just enough stress to keep you engaged and focused. You have keener intellect, sharper problem-solving skills, and the commitment to complete the task or to seek out the help that you need. It allows you to stretch and to learn while still being able to achieve. This positive relationship between performance and stress is known as the Yerkes-Dodson law, or it might be Yerkes-Dodson law. I'm not entirely sure how to say it. So what do you get when you actually step out of your comfort zone? Well, there are so many added benefits
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Benefits of stretching beyond comfort: productivity and ambition
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
to stepping outside of your zone of comfort, but here are the four that I found most relevant. The first is that you'll be more productive. Comfort kills productivity. Being comfortable often prohibits us from chasing our dreams. Pushing personal boundaries can help you get more done. It can help you to feel more ambitious, to give you the drive to learn new things, to do more, and to be more. Second, you'll be more adaptable to change. Harvard professor Brene Brown shares that if you challenge yourself to do things that you normally wouldn't
- 3:01 – 3:31
More adaptable and more creative: building resilience and breaking bias
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
do, you can prime your body to be able to handle changes much better. You actually don't really know what you're made of unless and until you venture outside familiarity. Third, you'll become more creative. When you seek new experiences, learn new skills, and open new doors, you become inspired. You challenge existing ideas and your own confirmation bias, which is that tendency to only seek out information that we already agree with. And the frustration that comes from tackling the unknown actually paves the way for brainstorming
- 3:31 – 4:01
Growth is inevitable when you take risks—even if you fail
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
new possibilities and viewing challenges with a completely different lens. Tim Harford's TED Talk called How Frustration Can Make Us More Creative provides a really unique insight on this point. And of course, you're going to grow whether you want to or not. Psychiatrist Abigail Brenner, author of Transitions, she writes about how taking risks and stepping outside the familiar leads to growth experiences. Even if you make a mistake or you don't get it right the first time, you're expanding your repertoire of life skills and self-knowledge. You're also expanding the
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Method 1: Take baby steps to expand safely and consistently
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
size of your comfort zone, which really is a win-win. I've learned the most from the times that I went outside my comfort zone, even if I ended up failing. So you now understand why stepping outside your comfort zone is a really good thing. But can you get any better at it? Yes, you absolutely can. Like anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. So here are five really simple suggestions to help you escape your comfort zone one step at a time. Take baby steps. Don't try to do too much too quickly. Allow yourself time. Breaking down
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Method 2: Do things that scare you—make discomfort a daily habit
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
your goals into small, achievable daily steps is the easiest way to achieve those huge successes. For example, if you want to tackle your fear of public speaking, don't jump right into speaking at a huge industry event. You may just end up traumatized. I'm just kidding. It won't be that bad, hopefully. So instead, start small by signing up for public speaking classes and start by speaking up more in small meetings. Do things that scare you. In bestselling author and business coach Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Workweek, he suggests that you should try to fill your day with lots of comfort challenge activities that challenge you to do something different. Maybe you could try to negotiate for your coffee at the local cafe, but don't be surprised if that doesn't work. You might like to put your hand up to take on a task that you've never done before. You might hug a random stranger, although probably not best in the workplace and definitely not right now given we're dealing with the health pandemic. But the premise here is that you're developing a habit of becoming familiar with discomfort. You're desensitizing yourself to the experience, and
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Method 3: Turn every challenge into a lesson with a growth mindset
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
you'll soon realize that it's not all that hard to do. Turn every experience into a lesson. When we adopt a growth mindset, we can start to see every challenging experience as an opportunity for growth. We can ask ourselves questions like, what am I learning about me, about others, about the situation, and how can I use this in my personal and my professional life? Become your own personal coach. You can elevate your thinking by self-coaching. So here you want to be asking yourself questions like, what
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Method 4 & 5: Self-coach effectively—and don’t do it alone
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
is the worst that can happen? What is holding me back? How can I make this a better experience? This helps you reengage your prefrontal cortex, which basically means you'll be able to calm your state and be far better prepared before you step outside your comfort zone. And don't go at it alone. One of the best things you can do is to enlist the support of a friend, colleague, or mentor on your journey. When trying something new, you'll have another perspective, and this collaboration will give you a shoulder to lean on while also learning new tips and tricks on
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Closing: Stretch beyond comfort (not beyond capacity) to accelerate growth
- SZDr. Shadé Zahrai
how to take on the risk. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. So there you have it. Not as difficult as you thought, is it? Stepping outside your comfort zone but not beyond what you can handle brings with it so many benefits and can be as easy as simply changing your mindset. I really hope you enjoyed this episode and you're already thinking differently about how you can stretch a little beyond your zone of comfort to really contribute to your journey of growth. I'm Shade Zahrai, and I'll see you next time. [outro music]
Episode duration: 7:09
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