It’s a week until the start of my community yoga class. To say that I’m nervous would be a bit of an understatement. The logical and rational part of my brain says that I shouldn’t be. I have delivered courses and activities to groups many times and I am comfortable with my knowledge of yoga so everything should be fine, but the anxiety is still building.
I realised that my anxiety came from the fact that this course relies on me being able to attract clients. This has taken me out of my comfort zone and it is this departure that is causing my nervousness.
Our comfort zones are the aspects of our life in which we feel safe and secure. The best way that I have found to describe this is to imagine that our life is surrounded by a bubble. This bubble contains all of the day to day activities that we do in our life, whether it’s going to work or just going to the shops.
This bubble has the habit of shrinking, in order to, protect us from the unkown and if we continually avoid pushing against the edge, it just gets smaller and smaller. This shrinking in its turn, limits us and what we do by preventing us from doing new things. In extreme cases, we can become reclusive, pulling away from normal day to day activities because it makes us 'feel' stressed in the short term, and in the long term can bring us to the point of never leaving the home.
The only way that we can overcome this shrinkage is by accepting the feeling of stress we experience when we push against the edge of our bubble. A well chosen and gentle push can help our bubble grow, allowing us to do new and exciting things. It is important to also remember that if we push too hard and too fast we can cause our bubble to pop, making us retreat to what makes us feel safe and secure. In time our bubble will reform, but smaller than what is was before.
This gentle push on my bubble is what was causing me to feel stress and anxiety. Once I realised why I was feeling this way, I was able to accept how I felt. Accepting my stress and anxiety meant that I could allow these feelings to pass and I could focus my thoughts on the positives aspects that this new and exciting adventure brings.
Think of the last time that you pushed on your comfort zones. Did you pass on through and expand your bubble or did you retreat? Let us know how you got on and check out our top tip below, or for tailored one to one support managing stress, anxiety and change contact Rob at Self Centre.
Top tip
There is safety in numbers, so get a friend to join you in expanding your comfort zones, they can provide you with strength and reassurance that you can make the changes you wish. There is safety in numbers, so get a friend to join you in expanding your comfort zones, they can provide you with strength and reassurance that you can help you make changes you wish.