Ep #18 Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Living Inside Out with Toks

Why do we shy away from stepping out of the comfort zone? The brain prefers the familiar, predictable part. It's easier for it to navigate a route it has always gone on. Each time you change activity or start something new, your brain uses up calories. It translates the unfamiliar to mean danger and will work to get you out of there. So when we are gifted with a new idea, thinking and talking about it in the safety of your old space is fun. But the moment you try to run with it and start to put down a foundation on a new piece of land, the brain finds viable reasons why you shouldn't. So we stop. And this does not apply only to actions we take; it applies too to thought processes. Our thoughts drive our actions; when we are actively working to change mindsets and thought patterns, you will be met with resistance. That's why even though we know a habit is harmful, we still carry it out. To prevent lapses into old ways of thinking, you must be on high alert where your intention is concerned. You can probably think of an action you repeatedly carry out even though you know you shouldn't. This is because your brain keeps rerouting you to the familiar path. Asking the question, "What's my intention?" is one way to keep you aware of the route you are travelling on. Our thoughts come about by the information we feed our mind. There is no such thing as mindless scrolling on social media. You may not be engaged in the information that you are breezing past, but your mind is. This information will form thoughts and drive your action. And if you are in the process of stepping out into a new zone, your mind will interpret it as unfamiliar and dangerous. It will then use the 'mindless information as a resource to route you back to your old zone.