Do you remember that Baz Luhrmann song, Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen? It was a song full of sage advice about living your life, and one of these little nuggets of information was “do something every day that scares you.” if you find yourself stuck in a suburban slumber, where fixing your garden every summer is the pinnacle of excitement, is it time for you to start doing something that scares you? Most people would shy away from this, but there’s a lot to be said in doing something that you are anxious about. And here is why…
It’s Actually Good For You!
Stepping outside of your comfort zone, if you don’t do it much, has been shown to make you more productive. It also helps you to prepare for significant changes. You could argue that you are living in a permanent state of anxiety, but instead, by making this a part of your lifestyle, it becomes an ingrained habit. Much like when you start out on an exercise regime, and you find it difficult at the outset, because lifting weights or going for a run is such an alien concept, by stepping outside your comfort zone a little bit every day has shown to have a substantial impact on our attitude towards life.
How You Can Do It Yourself
The best way to do it is to push the boat out gradually. You don’t need to immediately go skydiving, especially if this is something that you deem worse than taking a holiday in hell. But by doing something that is slightly out of your comfort zone, and gradually extending the barriers will do wonders for your confidence. Start small, such as starting a conversation with a stranger, asking someone for help, or just trying something new are a few simple things. As time goes on, you can begin to integrate these new things as part of your lifestyle, and you won’t feel as stressed. If you’re really looking for a way to shock yourself into being brave or having a bit of confidence, there are things you can do, such as swimming in the ocean, or learning to sail, and it’s very easy to take a course today in sailing, especially as it’s in a semi-controlled environment. But, in doing these new things, it’s going to make your perspective a bit more widescreen, especially if you are used to the simpler things in life, and your days are extremely regimented.
It’s Good For Your Life
As we slowly open ourselves up to new experiences, these things that once scared us don’t anymore. And when you realize this, this becomes such a wonderful feeling, that you’ve improved your life in so many different ways, every day becomes a new adventure. There is no need to feel scared, because it’s not a good emotion to have. We shy away from things constantly, and we refuse to try anything new. But, as the saying goes, “variety is the spice of life”, and so, doing something that scares you is the sprinkling on top of a wonderful life.
