42 •
The Lion King
• January - March 2016
PRODUCTIVITY
| BREAKING OUT FROM YOUR COMFORT ZONE
BREAKING OUT FROM YOUR
COMFORT ZONE
BY IFEYINWA OLLOH
3. GO INTO A ‘SURVIVAL MODE’:
Learn something new! You can learn
to sew, bake, cook, just anything that
can be converted to cash in the long
run.
4. GIVE TO OTHERS IN NEED:
This
may sound ridiculous but very reward-
ing, because no matter how bad and
tough things may get, it is always pos-
sible to find someone else who is in an
even tougher spot than you are!
5. STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT
REALLY MATTERS:
Many times we
forget that we were born into this
world with nothing and when we die,
we leave with nothing. Being aware of
this reality check sets one free!
T
he science of breaking out of ‘the
comfort zone’, which is very hard
to do, is interesting. The idea of
the comfort zone dates back to an
old experiment in psychology which
revealed that the state of relative
comfort creates a steady level of per-
formance.
Therefore in order to maximize perfor-
mance or results, we need a state of
relative anxiety, a space where our
stress levels are slightly higher than
normal. Some scholars call it, “Optimal
Anxiety” which is just outside of our
comfort zone.
Here are some fun tips for breaking
out of your comfort zone:
1. REDEFINE YOUR NEEDS AND
WANTS:
Your once lucrative com-
mission-only job no longer takes you
home. Your income is just enough to
pay for your expensive two bedrooms
flat in a high brow location. Every
month has become a struggle after
paying the rent. It is time to break out
of your comfort zone and take on a
flat mate. It is not always easy living
with another person, but with the right
individual, this move will actually help
you take the next step in breaking out
of your comfort zone.
2. MOVE TOWARDS PEOPLE, NOT
AWAY:
If you love to cook, why not
cheer yourself up and help people
you care about at the same time?
Join a small group of friends that you
can swap dinners with. Not more than
3 or 4. Pick a recipe that works well
for each person and assign a date
per week. It is creative and a perfect
opportunity to catch up with friends
and loved ones.
Alfred has not been able to pay his
utility bills because he lost his job two
months ago, his car was taken from
him by the bank because he could
not pay up on his car loan. But think
about it, IT IS JUST STUFF! Live on mem-
ories, spend quality time with family
and loved ones, stretch your legs and
get some fresh air, take the stairs in the
office, take a walk to the neighbor-
hood store instead of driving. Life is as
simple and easy as you want it to be!
