Do something every day that is a bit uncomfortable!

Doing uncomfortable things for more well-being? Although it sounds like a paradox at first, the fact is that a little variety promotes mental health and keeps us young. Therefore, we motivate you to leave your comfort zone and dare to do something new.

We've heard this many times: an irregular lifestyle, such as shift work and night work, as well as constant stress, shorten life. In contrast, regularity and routine routines can extend life expectancy. This is because fixed daily routines and recurring rituals make us feel safe and secure, and stress levels are usually lower.

But: routines also carry risks. Although it may seem negligible, routine routines over a long period of time also create a certain level of dullness and boredom. Too much boredom, in turn, is a driver of stress and dissatisfaction. Therefore, it is advisable to spice up life with a good pinch of variety and to renew one's attitudes.

A bit of variety, then, but what does that mean in concrete terms? It means that we should leave our comfort zone on a regular basis. The experiential education three-zone model recognizes - as the name suggests - three zones in which we can move. The comfort zone is the area where we feel comfortable and at ease and where we indulge in our habits.

However, personal growth does not take place here. For that, we have to leave our comfort zone and open ourselves to new experiences. Only when we overcome fears and face unfamiliar situations and new challenges can we grow. This happens in our growth zone. It is also where we draw motivation and pursue our goals and dreams. In this way, we strengthen our mental health and create important basic conditions for being happy.

So let's go for new adventures? Yes and no. We should also dose new challenges well to avoid feeling overburdened or overwhelmed. Too many challenges at the same time or severe stress and we enter the third of the zones, the so-called panic zone. It is obvious that this is counterproductive for our well-being.

Where the boundaries of each zone begin and end is individual and depends on a person's character and personality. The good thing is that we can expand our boundaries. If we regularly do something uncomfortable, we soon feel comfortable with previously unfamiliar activities. And we have to expend less energy to do them. So it's a case of getting out of your comfort zone!

Good motivational reasons to do this include health, career or family. For example, how about a little discomfort to start a new hobby or make new acquaintances? Interpersonal contact is also an important aspect of overall well-being. Or we show our openness and flexibility by facing our fears. To start with, it can be a small fear. If you need a push in the right direction, you can also leave your comfort zone as a group or with friends or partners. Together, motivation increases and you can support each other.