Why is our 'comfort zone' so bloody comfy

'The norm' is comfy. It's like sitting on a soft, plush sofa, wrapped in a blanket with a hot chocolate on your lap. 

It's what we're used to and it's where we feel safe.  But, it can often prevent us from doing what we actually want and from reaching our potential.

But what is it and why is it so snug?

The brain operates at conscious and subconscious levels. When we are in a conscious state, we are actively aware and living in the moment. When we operate in a subconscious state, we are essentially on autopilot. Our brain keeps us in a routine to conserve energy for when we need to consciously make decisions, but this 'routine' includes our good habits, our bad habits and keeps us stuck in our ways - this is one reason why it's so hard to stick to your 'new year, new me' resolutions or the promises your make to yourself when you want to make a change in your life. In fact, some studies show that we spend 95% of our time living through our subconscious brain. 

Our subconscious brain, or our monkey brain, as some like to say is made up of memories: everything that we know, everything that we have lived and it remembers everything that we hear. This is also why we say 'you are not your thoughts' - the subconscious is the culprit for having a negative inner critic. It stores everything and that reel of thoughts telling you that you're not good enough is just your monkey brain replaying things that you have been told, experienced or observed. It is not the present reality. 

As part of the subconscious mind, we have something called the homeostatic impulse. It regulates body functions, like keeping your heart beating steadily, regulating your body temperature and it keeps you breathing - without you having to think about it; pretty important, huh?

 It exists to regulate any dysregulation in the body, including hormones, blood sugar levels, etc; this includes the feeling of safety. If something triggers your fight or flight response, such as a large crowd of people triggering your anxiety - the homeostatic impulse will do whatever it can to avoid feeling the mental distress again. Hence further keeping you in your blanketed comfort zone, away from large crowds of people - in this case. 

So what can you do get off the sofa and push yourself, without becoming overwhelmed? 

Here's 2 of my top tips: 

1) Practise conciousness. A couple of times a day, practise being completely and utterly aware and in the moment. 

Take a moment to stop and live in the present moment. You will feel silly at first but take 2 minutes to become wholly aware of your surroundings, what you can see, hear, smell, taste and the way that you feel. It's easy to forget, since we spend so much time living on autopilot, so you may want to set a few alarms on your phone throughout the day to remind you. I found that every time my alarm went off, my brain was sat replaying events from the past or worrying about the future. 

The more you practise, the easier it becomes. 

2) Build habits that suit you and the life you want to live. 

You can use the monkey brain to your advantage. Slowly work towards creating habits that you want to have until they become so normal that you don't need to think about them. Such as drinking X amount of water per day. But remember habits are the result of conscious, small daily activities - they don't happen overnight and need to be built over time. I touched on this in my Instagram stories a few weeeks ago, but I always think of building habits like building a brick wall. You wouldn't try to build a sturdy brick wall by chucking ALL the bricks in a big pile and hoping it builds itself; you would lay them carefully, one by one to create a solid foundation.


Living consciously will not only allow you to live life in the present moment, but you will also be able to better take actions that benefit you and the people around you. It can help to reduce anxiety because no amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future. The only thing that you can control is the present moment. Now. 

 

Kate xx 

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