10 个技巧帮助您建立走出舒适区所需的信心
关键点
很多时候，我们对离开舒适区的恐惧会阻碍我们实现想要实现的目标。
研究表明，超越自己舒适区的人比那些没有这样做的人更快乐。
当人们尝试新事物时，他们会享受到增强的勇气，从而增强信心。
就像每个人都有自己独特的个人空间需求一样，我们也都有自己独特的舒适区。这些实体的目的有点自相矛盾：个人空间边界将他人拒之门外，而我们的舒适区将我们限制在内。然而，除非我们能够超越自己的舒适区，否则我们将无法超越自我设定的限制而成长或发展。除非你走出自己的舒适区并考虑其他想法，否则你不会真正知道你“知道”什么，甚至不知道你“为什么”相信你所相信的。
走出舒适区的好处
突破舒适区不仅能让你成长，还能提升你的幸福感。事实上，你对生活的不满越少，积极的变化就越大（Russo-Netzer & Cohen，2023 年）。选择如何突破熟悉的领域也会比被分配一项特定的活动更令人满意。在这项研究中，研究人员发现，最有回报的活动是让你提供支持或与他人互动的活动。利他主义总是为施恩者提供的无形助力等于或大于受益者获得的有形助力。
确实，做一些超出正常活动范围的事情会引发恐惧。在 Russo-Netzer 和 Cohen (2023) 的研究中，41% 的“突破舒适区者”表达了恐惧感，而 70% 的人描述了突破舒适区时的勇气感。事实上，面对恐惧是许多参与者选择活动的强大动力。能够面对恐惧并克服恐惧会增强你的自我意识，你的大脑会通过增加多巴胺来做出反应。下次你面对曾经引起你恐惧的实体或活动时，你身体的压力也会减小。这是一个双赢的结果。
打破舒适区泡沫的十个秘诀
1.关注结果。首先，在整个“挑战”过程中，关注走出舒适区的好处。你希望得到什么结果，从你的勇敢行为中你能得到什么？当我们提醒自己这些好处时，它可以帮助我们克服恐惧。
2.直面最坏情况并做好应对准备。为了应对可能不如预期的田园诗般的结果，请在脑海中演练最坏情况。演练场景并计划对最坏情况的最佳应对措施。这可以帮助您更有准备地承担风险。
3.想象你的胜利。不要只考虑最坏情况发生的可能性，想象自己成功了！想象自己结识新朋友、做新事情、寻找新冒险，想象自己能够到达终点线时的满足感，就像赛跑者在比赛前所做的那样。
4.巴甫洛夫的狗给我们的启示。关注迈向目标的每一步成功是什么样子，当你听到内心的声音告诉你你离目标更近了一步时，奖励自己。让奖励与做那些并不总是容易的事情联系在一起——比你通常做的更进一步。
5.暴露疗法。将最终目标分解为几个挑战性越来越大的小目标，这样在过程中，你就能更多地“接触”情况。例如，如果你想参加一个新的健身班，你可以将其分解为几个步骤，例如上网查找潜在的课程；阅读评论并查看地点；致电中心询问课程时间；报名或下定决心参加免费试听课；最后，到场并进入课堂。
6.创可贴方法。直接跳入新环境！深吸一口气，走出舒适区，做那些让你感到新奇的事情。当你摆脱自己给自己设下的限制时，可能会有点刺痛，但这种刺痛很快就会消失，转变就完成了。
7.拥抱悲观乐观。如果你希望最好的结果，但又期待最坏的结果，你就不会失望。记住，事情很少像看起来那么好或那么坏。拥抱希望，知道事情可能不会像你想要的那样发展。但如果需要，这可以让你制定 B 计划。
8.直面恐惧。害怕做不同的事情是完全正常的——改变并不容易，打破自己创造的安全舒适区泡沫可能会令人害怕。但是，当我们说出我们的恐惧并将其分解成各个部分时，我们会获得更大的控制感，一旦我们说出了恐惧，我们就能更好地驯服它。
9.回顾过去的成就。当我们准备迎接新的挑战时，有时建立信心的最有效方法是提醒自己过去的成功。成功孕育成功，当我们能够在脑海中捕捉过去一项具有挑战性的任务所带来的成就感时，我们就会增强自尊心，为下一次胜利做好准备。
10.带上朋友或与已经“在那儿”的人联系。我们都记得小学或游泳课上的伙伴制度，当你有一个同伴在那里照看你，就像你照看他们一样，你会感到更安全。当你走出舒适区时，如果你有一个同伴与你一起冲出去，你会感觉轻松得多。如果没有人可以填补这个角色，与已经做过你想做的事情的人联系是另一种让这段旅程更轻松的好方法。无论你是与那些从事你想尝试的职业的人联系，还是与那些属于你想加入的组织的人联系，还是与那些享受你想尝试的爱好或冒险的人联系，或者与那些正处于你正在考虑进入的人生阶段的人联系，了解情况可以最大限度地减少一个人舒适区中对未知事物的恐惧。
参考
Russo-Netzer, P. 和 Cohen, GL (2023)。“如果你感到不舒服，就走出你的舒适区”：一种新颖的行为“伸展”干预措施有助于不快乐人群的幸福感。《积极心理学杂志》，18（3），394-410。
Don't Let Your Comfort Zone Be a Barrier
10 tips to help build the confidence needed to leave your comfort zone.
KEY POINTS
Too often, fear of leaving our comfort zone keeps us from achieving the goals we'd like to achieve.
Research shows that people who stretch beyond their comfort zones are happier than those who do not.
When people try new things, they enjoy an enhanced feeling of courage, which builds confidence.
Just like everyone has their own unique personal space needs, we also all have our own unique comfort zones. The purpose of these entities is a bit paradoxical: personal space boundaries keep others out, and our comfort zones keep us in. Yet until we’re able to move beyond what is comfortable for us, we won’t be able to grow or develop beyond our self-imposed limits. Until you get outside your comfort zone and consider alternative ideas, you won’t really know what you “know” or even know “why” you believe what you believe.
Benefits of Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
Not only does stretching past your comfort zone allow you to grow, but it also enhances your happiness in life. The less happy you are with your life, the greater the positive change will be, as a matter of fact (Russo-Netzer & Cohen, 2023). Choosing how to stretch yourself beyond the familiar can be more satisfying, too, than being assigned a particular activity. In this study, researchers found that the most rewarding activity is one that stretches you to provide support or engage with others. Altruism always provides the benefactor with an intangible boost equal to or greater than the tangible boost the beneficiary receives.
It's true that doing something beyond your normal range of activities can induce fear. In the Russo-Netzer and Cohen (2023) study, while 41 percent of the “comfort zone breakers” expressed feelings of fear, 70 percent described their feelings of courage at breaking out of their comfort zone. In fact, facing a fear was a strong motivator for many of the participants in their choice of activities. Being able to confront a fear and overcome it provides a boost to your sense of self, and your brain responds with a boost of dopamine. There’s less stress on your body, too, the next time you are facing the entity or activity that once caused your fear. It’s a win-win all around.
Ten Tips for Bursting the Comfort Zone Bubble
The Outcome Focus. First and throughout the “stretch,” focus on the benefits of stepping outside your comfort zone. What is your hoped for outcome and what will you gain from your courageous act? When we remind ourselves of the benefits, it can help us move through our fear.
Look the Worst-Case Scenario in the Eyes and Prepare to Counter It. To prepare for results that might not be as idyllic as hoped, do a worst-case scenario run-through in your mind. Play out the scene and plan your best response to the worst-case scenario. This can help you feel more prepared to take the risk of stretching.
Visualize Your Win. Rather than just dwelling on the possibility of the worst case happening, visualize yourself succeeding! Visualize yourself meeting new people, doing new things, finding new adventures, and visualize the satisfaction you’ll feel for being able to make it to the metaphorical finish line, just like runners do before a race.
Lessons From Pavlov’s Dog. Tune into what each successful step towards your goal looks like and reward yourself when you hear that inner voice telling you that you’re one step closer. Let the rewards become associated with doing what is not always easy to do—stretching further than you normally do.
Exposure Therapy. Break down the ultimate goal into several increasingly challenging mini-goals that increase your “exposure” to the situation as you go. If you want to stretch yourself to join a new exercise class, for instance, you might break this down into steps such as surfing the internet to find potential classes; reading reviews and checking out locations; calling the center to ask about class times; signing up or mentally committing to attend a free trial class; and finally, showing up and entering the class.
The Band-Aid Approach. Just jump into the new situation feet first! Take a deep breath and stretch beyond your comfort zone, doing the new thing that is calling you to be done. It may sting a bit as you strip off the limits you’d placed on yourself, but the sting fades fast and the transition is done.
Embrace Tragic Optimism. If you hope for the best but expect the worst, you won’t be disappointed. Remember that things are seldom as good as they are or as bad as they seem. Embrace hope, knowing that things may not turn out the way you want. But this allows you to formulate a Plan B, if needed.
Own Your Fear. It’s totally okay to be afraid of doing something different—change isn’t easy, and it can be scary to break the safe comfort zone bubble you’ve created. But when we name our fear and break it down into its parts, we gain a greater sense of control and we’re better able to tame the fear once we’ve named it.
Revisit Prior Accomplishments. When we’re preparing for a new challenge, sometimes the most effective way of building our confidence is by reminding ourselves of past successes. Success breeds success and when we’re able to capture in our mind that feeling of accomplishment from a challenging task in the past, we are stoking our self-esteem and preparing ourselves for another win.
Bring a Friend or Connect with People who Are Already “There.” We all remember the buddy system back in elementary school or swim class, it can feel so much safer when you’ve got a companion who’s there to keep an eye on you just like you’re keeping an eye on them. When moving beyond your comfort zone, it can feel much easier when you’ve got a companion bursting through with you. If there’s not someone to fill that role, connecting with people who’ve already done what you want to do is another great way to make the stretch easier. Whether you’re connecting with people who are in a career you’re thinking of trying, belong to an organization you’re thinking of joining, enjoy the hobby or adventure you’re thinking of trying, or are in a life stage you’re considering entering, getting the low down on the lay of the land can minimize much of the fear of the unknown that is baked into a person’s comfort zone.
References
Russo-Netzer, P., & Cohen, G. L. (2023). ‘If you’re uncomfortable, go outside your comfort zone’: A novel behavioral ‘stretch ‘intervention supports the well-being of unhappy people. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 18(3), 394-410.
