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#2
2nd July 2020, 09:15
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
It's been almost the opposite for me. Some social events have been cancelled over the past few months (including a wedding which I was dreading), and I've been absolutely delighted.
In any case it's not obvious to me how I can push myself out of my comfort zone at present without pushing myself towards a health risk. How about you, Laurel? 
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#3
2nd July 2020, 09:42
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
This week I realised that I don't actually have a comfort zone and my life basically consists of forcing myself to do things I don't want to do. The zone I live in isn't comfortable at all, but I've become so used to all the sharp edges, hard furnishings and cold temperatures that I've created in my mind that I just try and tolerate it the best I can.
My comfort zone is all about being uncomfortable, so I think I'm going to try and go out of my comfort zone by buying some extra soft metaphorical pillows to make my comfort zone actually comfortable. My aim is to push myself by slowing down, not being so hard on myself, and trying to take it easy. My challenge is to not challenge myself.
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#4
2nd July 2020, 09:59
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
^ That's not a bad aim at all, Sunrise; I do think that you may be being too hard on yourself at times, perhaps just relaxing and letting things flow is what you need right now.
Like Aelwyn, I am having difficulty in finding ways to step outside my comfort zone at this time; my week has consisted of one shopping trip, occasional bike rides and a few walks, which have included conversations (at the correct social distance, of course) which would have been beyond my comfort zone maybe four or five years ago, but not now. One thing I have done, I suppose, is send WhatsApp messages to friends in order to maintain friendships, whereas in the past I would have waited for those people to make contact with me (on the assumption that they wouldn't want to hear from me); especially now, people seem to appreciate these small gestures of reaching out. I am travelling again next week and I have been trying to book public transport to Birmingham airport; there are no coaches and the return train fare (with my disabled railcard) should be £17.70, but booking the train hasn't been possible because the operator had not, until today, released tickets for my return journey - and now that they have, the cheapest tickets are £79.20 (or £120 without the railcard). Airport parking is also at premium prices, so I have been on Google maps and identified some streets approximately two miles from the airport where parking appears to be unrestricted (and there are, according to streetview, some cars parked but not so many that I might cause problems to residents by parking there). I've pretty much decided that I am going to park there, but (a) I have never used street parking close to that airport before and don't know how residents might react, (b) I will be leaving my car unguarded in a strange place for more than a week and (c) if I arrive there and cannot find anywhere to park - although there is quite a network of residential streets, so I am fairly confident on that score - I have no plan b and may be in danger of missing my flight. All this is already causing me anxiety, although I suppose it would do for a "normal" person too, but doing this will, in a small way, be something outside my comfort zone.
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#5
2nd July 2020, 10:48
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
I've been walking in woodland areas since last Saturday, 3 times so far. Hope to go again 2 more times before Monday next week. I've been making small talk and polite greetings with other walkers which I would avoid doing in the past.
I love the green, smells, sounds of leafs waving in the wind, the lack of noise pollution. I found a quiet spot yesterday and meditated repeating a mantra, whilst dissolving any paranoia about people walking past me.
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#6
2nd July 2020, 10:53
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
^ That's great stuff, Ghost. I don't know about where you are, but here in Derbyshire it's virtually impossible to walk anywhere (except in the cities and larger towns) without strangers offering greetings and conversations; it was a big factor in taking control of my anxiety when I started walking in 2015. If you can't avoid talking to people, it isn't long before it becomes natural.
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#8
2nd July 2020, 11:26
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
^ On which floor? I hope you find a suitable place without too much hassle, have a trouble-free move and a good life in your new home.
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#9
2nd July 2020, 15:56
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
^^ hope it went well.
I'm off to a house viewing in 90 minutes, got to get ready....
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#10
2nd July 2020, 16:11
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
^ I hope that goes well too. Please don't change your postcode, I won't recognise you!
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#11
2nd July 2020, 16:23
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
Quote:
I started this thread because I realised I hadn't been pushing my comfort zone enough, but I did go a social event (2m apart), but need to do more. Some issues there because simply there hasn't been enough exposure and that's the route to improving.
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#12
2nd July 2020, 17:34
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
As others have said, it has been difficult to push my comfort zone during this period.
In recent weeks, I have been going to my town centre, to shop and get a coffee, so that is pushing myself. I have noticed that my anxiety is very close to my pre-therapy stage, which is worrying. I was largely able to enter shops with very little anxiety beforehand, but now I find myself hanging around outside the shop/coffee place for ages, trying to get confidence to go in. This is why I need to keep pushing myself really.
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#13
2nd July 2020, 18:17
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
I have found these last few months very comforting. There were so many
As a consequence I have not slept so well for years. In the end this all has to be paid for though. Another way I avoid is not getting up on time but today I did and had lots of extra time to schedule in difficult jobs. I have been in dispute with a utility company since before the lockdown and this is the sort of thing I really hate. The lockdown is an excuse on both sides. Today I got back on the case and made a very difficult phone call that I have been putting off for months. That is another step further down the road. This took so much more effort than I was expecting and my comfort zone has collapsed a long way. It took me an hour to calm down after that. I just hope pushing it back to where it was will not be as hard as the first time. That was my scary job for the day.
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#16
13th July 2020, 17:25
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Re: Have you pushed your comfort zone this week? And doing what?
Firstly I did a one hour solo litter pick on a busy local park on Sunday afternoon. I have previously done 2 hour litter picks during the week when the park was a lot less busy.
Also took part in a video call with other members of an anxiety support group Sunday evening. I personally find video calls really stressful. It's because you can see yourself talking and I am phobic about looking in mirrors. If I'm on my own at home I can look in them, but if anyone else is around or if I am anywhere else, it's something I avoid because it always makes me feel terrible.
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