Comfort Zone

image credit:  theprospect.net

I’ve a question!  I’ve a question!

What’s the big deal with “leaving your comfort zone” every once in a while?

I don’t get it.

I like my comfort zone.  And it likes me.  I don’t get snarky, I don’t feel anxious or feel under pressure.  Equally I don’t stress about every little thing when I’m in my comfort zone.

I don’t like leaving it.  Not one little bit.  I’m happy there.

I’m at that stage in my life where I know what I like and I don’t bother with what doesn’t interest me. 

I’m fine with that. 

Sometimes a change isn’t as good as a rest.  Sometimes a change can stress someone [me] out so much, they [I] need a damn holiday to recover from it.

I like routine.  I am fond of routine.  It helps me function.

I often joke that if you visit my house even twenty years after I first move in you will find everything in exactly the same place. 

Years ago someone said to me that she keeps her stuff all over the house.  She doesn’t have any one place for her belongings.

I didn’t get that either.  There’s a certain comfort for me knowing if I put my book down somewhere, it will be there when I return to pick it up.

I like that. 

I kind of like knowing what to expect in as much as can be expected.   

For example, I don’t like things changing at the last minute, putting me under pressure. 

I don’t like driving in unfamiliar built up areas.  I don’t like worrying that I am about to cause an accident and put mine or some other family in danger, because I am unfamiliar with the road.

If I were a flavour I would be vanilla with not even a hint of ripple in my make-up.  Vanilla through and through.  Bland, plain old boring vanilla.

But I happen to like vanilla.  A lot.

And FYI after chocolate, vanilla is the world’s favourite flavour.  Closely followed by orange.

That’s right.  The world. 

None of your mysterious, sexy dark velvet somethings.  Not a mention of daring rocky road.  Rum raisin anyone?

Recently I attended a 6 week Control Your Stress course.  It was great.  I really enjoyed it.  I identified with a lot of what the instructor spoke about.  I learnt a lot.

I learned to recognise the early warning signs of stress and what can happen if they are allowed get out of control.

There is nothing to be gained from ignoring those little alarm bells and sometimes, in order to relieve the pressure and anxiety of a certain situation, there is simply nothing for it but to face up to the matter and tackle it head on.

In other words, abandon my comfort zone, leave the safety net behind and deal with it.

Gulp.