Many people have found themselves challenged at this strange time with things that used to be easy for them in the past.  Just like a muscle or any skill, your comfort zone is the same, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Our comfort zone is made up of the familiar places, people and activities that we do often, we know well. That is why it is comfortable. During this period, we have had to reduce the number of places, people and activities we are a doing, and in return our comfort zone shrinks. People who have had some form of anxiety may start to feel like their anxiety has gotten worse. Perhaps it is not anxiety, perhaps it is just not comfortable, not as familiar. Today we are stepping into what once was familiar but it’s been a while. Our comfort zone has shrunk. Now those once familiar things don’t feel right, it’s a bit different. It feels different, looks different, the rules are different with COVID and so therefore it is different and unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Feeling uncomfortable doesn’t have to be a bad thing. If something is not familiar, expect it to feel uncomfortable. Celebrate stepping out into the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable feelings that come with it. Celebrate exploring the uncomfortable and unfamiliar until it is familiar and comfortable again. Pat yourself on the back for pushing yourself past your comfort zone. 

(Check out the The Northern Rivers Times our new free and independent regional newspaper. Out every Thursday where you will find all the local news and the occasional tidbit from me.)

#northernriverstimes #anxiety #anxietyrelief