Finding Comfort Outside Your Comfort Zone

Your body tension is like a barometer that registers levels of comfort. Pressure decreases when you settle in to read a good book or sit around a dinner table with good friends. It increases when you enter a crowded room or sit for a performance review. Worry about a problem, pressure goes up; find a solution, it goes down. Simply translated: inside your comfort zone you let go; outside, you tense up. The trick is knowing how to increase your comfort level outside your comfort zone. This is particularly important when you travel.

Knowing how to get comfortable in unfamiliar territory is part of being a savvy traveler. Just taking a little time to focus inward, relax, and center means you can see, hear, and feel what’s going on around you. Instead of being distracted by your emotional body, you can be resilient and respond appropriately. When stuck waiting somewhere, you sit back and take in the scenery. In a crowded marketplace, you thread your way through. In tense conversations, you stay steady. When in danger, you move out of the way. And, when you need to stop moving and rest, you relax and drop off to sleep. In other words, instead of being stressed and uptight, your best self can lead the way. 

For the past couple months, I’ve been away from Santa Barbara, living out of a suitcase. Leaving home gave me a chance to expand my sense of self and experience life beyond my bubble. This was the point. It was also the challenge. Navigating the intricacies of long-distance travel, foreign languages, currencies, and customs was stressful. Adjusting to new time zones and sleeping in strange beds was disorienting. But, no matter where I went, my body was always there reminding me to tune in and take care. 

Taking care of my body served as a way to return to my comfort zone. As I journeyed from place to place, my selfcare routines provided a reassuring sense of normality. Slowing down when I was unpacking helped me settle down. Flossing my teeth or taking a shower helped me feel connected. Eating and exercising helped me stay strong and balanced. Meditating daily helped me release negativity and get centered. Bringing along soft jammies and my friendly pillow helped me rest deeply. In the process, I discovered that when my body’s needs were met, I could be present for the adventure with confidence and grace – no matter where I traveled. 

But, I don’t have to go out of town to feel out of sorts. I can feel the emotional barometric pressure rising right here at home. For instance, family discord or unpleasant conversations make me tense up. Awkward social situations make me fidgety. Unexpected news can be disorienting. A change in plans puts me off-kilter and uncertain finances make me feel anxious. In all of these situations, a chill-out meditation reduces the stress and returns me to my comfort zone on the spot. Here’s how this works: 

On-the-Spot Chill-out Meditation

– Tune in to body

– Soften muscles to let go

-Breathe into ribs-shoulders-back-neck to open up

– Align posture to reclaim fullness

– Pivot slightly away from discord

-Affirm connection to earth below and sky above

Discomfort is obvious when your body is tensed up. Knowing how to let it go and move on is an asset in any stressful situation. Not to worry… you’ll have lots of opportunities to practice. Just being alive means traversing back and forth, in and out of your comfort zone. In order to learn about yourself and your world, you need to leave home and have new experiences. In order to integrate what you’ve learned, you need to come back. Being able to get comfortable outside your comfort zone makes it all much easier. So, the next time you feel unsettled, anxious, or out of sorts, let your wise body show you how to be a bit more comfortable.