Get Uncomfortable: The Science of Growth Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Summary

In this episode of the Do Life podcast, Layla explores the concept of growth outside of comfort zones, delving into the neuroscience and psychology behind discomfort. She discusses the benefits of embracing discomfort, including increased resilience, confidence, and creativity, while also addressing the barriers that prevent individuals from stepping outside their comfort zones. Layla provides practical strategies for expanding comfort zones and encourages listeners to embrace discomfort as a pathway to personal growth.


Takeaways

Growth happens outside of your comfort zone.
Understanding the brain's response to discomfort is crucial.
Neuroplasticity allows us to rewire our brains through discomfort.
The Yerkes-Dodson law explains optimal performance under stress.
Embracing discomfort leads to emotional resilience.
Confidence is built through facing fears, not avoiding them.
Small discomforts can lead to significant personal growth.
Reframing fear as excitement can change your experience.
Celebrating small wins reinforces positive behavior.
Growth is a continuous practice, not a one-time event.


Sound Bites

"Reframe fear as excitement."
"Growth is a practice, not a project."
"Growth doesn't live where it's easy."


Chapters

00:00 The Importance of Growth Beyond Comfort Zones
01:34 Understanding the Comfort Zone and Its Effects
04:15 The Science of Discomfort and Neuroplasticity
07:24 Real-Life Examples of Embracing Discomfort
11:06 Strategies to Expand Your Comfort Zone

Links

Celebration =
https://youtu.be/cZur9XXaKtQ?si=Gw8ICGXs8AYer6Rj

Nervous system regulation
https://youtu.be/CUyIOHid6fc?si=Y1qKl4OOUPqiYstt

Transcript

0:00

You've probably heard it a thousand times, growth happens outside of your comfort zone. But what does that actually mean? And why is it so hard to do? What really happens to your brain and your body when you step into discomfort? Today, we're breaking down the science, psychology, and the soul work behind getting uncomfortable. and why that's the only place your next level lives. Hi friends, welcome back to the Do Life podcast where we talk about life, its challenges, and some clever ways to tackle some common obstacles with cutting edge technology, scientific based research, and splash amount of physical properties. I'm your host, Life Coach Layla a certified life and business coach, a trained meditation facilitator and firm believer that a higher version of you is waiting just beyond the edge of what feels familiar. Today we're talking about one of the most misunderstood and most necessary ingredients for personal transformation. getting out of your comfort zone. You've probably heard that phrase before. maybe even too many times. But what does it really mean? Why? What's actually happening to your brain? and body. when you step out of your comfort zone. And how do you know the difference between good stress? that helps you grow and overwhelm that shuts you down. By the end of this episode, you'll a deeper understanding of neuroscience, psychology. and strategy behind expanding your comfort zone. plus some powerful real life examples and tools that you can use today to help stretch you, to help stretch yourself in the healthiest way possible. So let's get into it. So let's start with the basics. The term comfort zone was first popularized by a psychologist named Judith. in 1991, She described it as a behavioral state where we operate in anxiety neutral condition. using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance. In other words, it's predictable, and familiar. Inside that comfort zone, you know the system is relaxed. your brain uses less energy, you know what to expect. And because your brain's number one job is to keep you safe, it loves staying. But here's the catch, your brain also craves novelty in growth. because novelty releases dopamine. The neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. So we have this paradox. One party we bring on safety and stability. Another part wants progression and expansion. When we stay too long in the comfort zone. we start to feel stagnant, restless. or uninspired. And that's your brain's way of telling us, it's time to grow. So why is it so hard? When you step outside your comfort zone, your body immediately activates a built-in alarm. Your amygdala. your brain's emotional guard dog. It can't tell the difference whether you're speaking publicly on a stage or getting attacked by a lot. So when you decide to take a risk, whether it's starting a new job, a new business, leaving a toxic work environment, or even setting a healthy boundary or enforcing it, your amygdala fires, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Your heart rate increases, your palms sweat, your body says danger, danger. But here's what's fascinating. As you face these non-lethal, non-lethal threats. repeatedly, the prefrontal cortex, the rational decision making part of your brain starts to calm the amygdala down. It learns that discomfort doesn't always equal danger. This is called neuroplastic adaptation. So every time you do something uncomfortable and survive it, You're literally rewiring your brain to become braver, more confident, less apprehensive. That's why the more you step outside of your comfort zone, the easier it gets. You're strengthening new neural pathways for courage, for reducing the brain's threat response. Think of it like an emotional weightlifting. You can't build resilience without the stress reps. There's a century old concept in psychology called the Yerkes. Yerkes-Dodson law, it's like all the way back from like 1908 or something. And it shows that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point. Too little stress, you're bored and unmotivated. Too much stress, you're overwhelmed and frozen. But in that middle zone called the optimal performance zone is where learning, growth and creativity thrive. this is where you want to live. Slightly uncomfortable, challenged but not crushed, expanding but not exploding, the sweet spot. So if you're feeling resistance, butterflies, or nervous excitement, that's a good sign. You're probably in that sweet spot. Let's talk a little bit about the benefits of getting uncomfortable. There's things like neuroplasticity and brain growth. When you expose yourself to new experiences, forms new connections between neurons. 2013 study in Nature Neuroscience showed that novelty increases dopamine in the hippocampus, improving memory and learning and motivation. Translation, discomfort literally grows your brain, makes it bigger. another benefit is emotional resilience. Face and fear teaches your nervous system how to regulate under stress over time. Your baseline for what feels safe expands, meaning fewer things trigger you and you recover faster from challenges. I have a whole episode on neuro, no, on nervous system regulation. I'll link it in the show notes below. boosted confidence doesn't come confident. Confidence doesn't come from knowing what to do. It comes from doing things that scare you. Each time you succeed, despite fear, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, reinforcing this message. I can handle this. You also get an increase in creativity. Novelty and discomfort stimulate the default mode network, the same part of the brain responsible for imagination, visioning, and creative problem solving. You also get a sense of fulfillment and purpose. When you stretch yourself, you expand your sense of identity. You start seeing yourself, not as someone who avoids view, but someone who transforms through it. And that shift is where real fulfillment lives. so then why do most people stay stuck? The brain's energy economy is one reason. The brain uses 20 % of the body's total energy. New experiences require extra effort. So your subconscious resists to basically save battery life. people also stay stuck because of a fear of judgment. Social rejection activates the same neural pain centers as actual physical injury. That's why having a fear of embarrassment feels so real. Another reason people stay stuck is an overprotective nervous system. Your body is wired to avoid perceived danger. But in modern life, danger. can just mean unfamiliar. like a new project or a tough conversation. People stay stuck because of conditioning and comfort culture. We're raised to equate comfort with success. And comfort zones can be beautiful until they become cages. Like some real life examples, Mel Robbins used her five second rule to overcome analysis paralysis by counting backwards from five to interrupt the brain's amygdala fear loop and activates the prefrontal cortex. Instead of laying in bed, dreading the day, she counts backwards from five and gets up at one. No argument, no nothing, just do it. And then maybe you've heard of Wim Hof, the Iceman. He shows how controlled exposure to extreme cold improves immune function, resilience, and emotional control. Proof that the body and mind adapt to controlled stress. There are groups that go out into the tundra with him and learn to overcome the body and the mind through the breath. It's really fascinating. You should look into it if you haven't. Another real life example would be Michael Jordan. He turned rejection into motivation, using discomfort as data, not defeat. He was cut from his high school basketball team and he used that discomfort and rejection to fuel years of discipline and training. And then a scientific example from an MRI scans of people who took up new hobbies such as juggling or learning a new language showed increased gray matter density in the motor and visual cortex. within weeks. That's physical proof that getting uncomfortable challenges the brain. Studies also showed the regular exposure to small doses of social discomfort, example speaking to strangers or making a tough phone call, but it reduces cortisol over time and increases confidence. So if it's so important, then how do we expand our comfort zone? Start with micro stretches. Speak up in a meeting. Try a cold shower. Take a solo trip. Maybe do some journaling and write out what is one truth you've been avoiding. Small discomforts build big resilience. My most powerful coaching sessions are ones where we experience big discomforts, both between me and my clients and between me and my coaches. When there's a revelation or realization that happens that is really uncomfortable to think about. you might not necessarily want to admit or agree to is usually where big changes happen. Some other things you can do is practice nervous system regulation. ah I highly suggest you watch the episode I'll link about that to kind of give you some step-by-step tools. You can use breath work to help calm your amygdala. You can ground your body when you notice fear arising. Name three things you see, three things you hear, three things you feel. Get your other senses involved and slow your breathing while you do that. And reframe it instead of saying I'm scared say I'm excited. Both feelings release adrenaline. It's how you label it that changes your experience. Obviously reframing it doesn't work if we're talking about real anxiety. I tried that with my kids. It didn't work. I don't have anxiety so I didn't understand. And the way my kids explain it is not like being excited. So I'm talking about just general happiness or anxiousness or fear or excitement. I think it's so funny that fear and excitement is the same chemical composition in your brain. So instead of being afraid, be excited. Another way you can train your brain is by anchoring growth. So after each challenge, celebrate. I did a whole episode on celebration and why it's so helpful and why we don't do enough of it. It releases dopamine and trains your brain to associate discomfort with reward. You can also keep a discomfort journal. Each week know what stretched you and what you learned. Growth is a practice, not a project. The goal isn't to live outside your comfort zone forever, it's to expand it. So what... once terrified you becomes your new normal. Over time that zone gets bigger, your tolerance gets higher, and your identity gets stronger. when you make discomfort part of your rhythm. Not as punishment, but as progress. You stop waiting for confidence and start creating it. So here's my challenge to you this week. do at least one thing that makes you slightly uncomfortable. Have that conversation, take that class, try the thing. Notice your body's reaction. Notice the butterflies, the resistance, the increased heart rate, and try to breathe through it. That's not fear trying to stop you. Let your brain stretch and to hold your next level. And remember, growth doesn't live where it's easy. It lives where you hesitate. So let's go do life. I you, I thank you, I appreciate you for being here. Like, share, subscribe, leave a review, do all the things so I can keep bringing you content. I hope you found value. Please subscribe to my newsletter and... I love you and I thank you and I appreciate you for being here.