Don’t Get Stuck in Comfort

Humans are by nature, creatures of habit. We like routine, comfort, predictability. All of these things produce feelings of safety, reliability and gets rid of anxiety. 

Look at your daily routine. Chances are you wake up and do the same thing in the same order almost everyday. You probably drive the same route to work or school. All done in such a predictable manner that you could probably do this with your eyes closed (although, not recommended). You know exactly how much time you need to get ready in the mornings because of this routine. Look at how good you have become at executing it without a second thought. Think about how distraught you get when you are forced into breaking that routine. You wake up and you’re out of coffee. You now need to try to grab one one on the way to work. There is construction requiring a detour. Do you find that you get irritated? Possibly even feel a sense of panic? In this moment, what is your comfort zone is disrupted. You get anxious as you may not get to work on time because you didn’t plan. Now there is an unexpected interruption in your routine. 

These are really small examples of comfort and routine. But think of the things that are more important in your life, things like goals, larger sense of meaning, your purpose. You may find that you unintentionally do the same things over and over, repeating the same patterns in the same way everyday. Patterns of behaviour that create habits that promote this safety and predictability. 

It happens over time in a subtle way that you often may not realize it.

For example, the first thing I do when I wake up is go pee. I then grab my morning vitamins, bring them to the kitchen table. I start to prepare lunch and my breakfast. Before I leave the house, I brush my teeth. Everyday, same routine.

This happens to me. On a smaller scale this is maybe acceptable from a time management perspective. But on a larger scale, I start to notice I’m stuck in comfort when I start to get restless. I get bored. When this happens, I have to take the time and do an assessment of where I’m at with everything. What are my habits that are contributing to this comfort zone? Is it my small day to day activities? Or is it on a grander scale? And before I know it, I’ve done it again. Fallen into the traps of comfort and predictability. And for those that know me, I’m not about that life.

My Comfort Zone

I notice that I have reached a point where I need to make a change, to get unstuck. Because it is affecting my happiness, my mental health and the peace of my inner being.

While I have been enjoying my time in Kenora and working at Lake of The Woods District Hospital, I am finding myself complacent. Restless. Irritable. I’m ready for the next adventure. I started my initial leg of the contract September 2021, took a month to head back up north and have been working exclusively in Kenora, Ontario since.

Five months. 20 weeks, give or take. By the end of this ‘contract’ I will have been here a total of eight months (approximately 32 weeks). 

I have been asked repeatedly by my agency and the ER manager to extend my contract into September, which would mark a year of employment here. This scares me. It makes me nervous and restless. The whole goal of me becoming a travel nurse full time was to avoid staying in one place for too long. I know I get restless, I know I need more. I need things to continually invigorate me, renew my love of life, my spirit of adventure. 

The reality is, this winter has been a hard one, and much too long. It has affected me on a personal level and I am more than ready to move forward from the snow and the location. 

With my current contract ending June 30th, I recognize it’s far past the time to move on and move forward onto whatever comes next. I am slowly mentally preparing for this by planning things during the following weeks that will prevent me from be tempted to extend. I have a hard time saying no as a general rule, and there has been many perks to my employment here that also make it difficult to move forward. 

Goal: Take 6 weeks off after this contract to renew and refresh. It’s been a hard couple of months, I need to refill the tank by ensuring proper sleep, moving my body, being curious about the world around me and resetting. I need to sit down and get organized, review my goals to ensure I am well on track with what I truly want and am seeking in life, and to make adjustments as needed.

There will be plenty of updates, and I will definitely keep you posted on all of my adventures. 

Some Thought Work

In writing this I recognize not everyone has the same desires as I do to go above and beyond, and do big things to get out of the comfort zone. For those of you following along who are just taking in my journey and hoping to learn, I have some small recommendations to help you consider trying, to help you feel un-stuck and shake it up! 

1. Take small breaks in routine. 
   1. This is as simple as taking a different route to work/home every now and again. 
   2. Change your coffee routine. Instead of making it at home before you go, get up 15 minutes early and grab a coffee on your way to work. Alternatively, instead of getting coffee on the way to work, make yourself a cup at home. If this is too boring, spice it up by making it a latte or adding some fun flavourings. Get yourself a new coffee Tumblr. The world is your oyster. 
   3. Instead of always packing a lunch, order takeout/delivery.
   4. If you’re feeling bolder, take your ordered/delivery lunch and go sit outside to enjoy it, local park, etc. Even if it’s cold out, sometimes it’s nice to remove yourself from a work environment to refresh your mind. Don’t be afraid to sit at the harbour or at the park in your car and eat your lunch! I do my best thinking in the quiet of my car, or listening to my favourite music.
   5. Take your break and go for a small walk around the building or outside weather permitting (or go even if it isn’t!). 

1. Prepare for the unexpected in constructive ways.
   1. Add 15 minutes to your mornings to counter any unexpected events that may derail your day (for example; construction delays or detours).
   2. If there are no detours, take that 15 minutes to reflect on the day ahead, encourage some small positive goals for the day, or positive self-talk.
   3. Alternatively, practice some deep breathing, stretching or meditation. 
   4. If you aren’t able to accommodate for more time- instead of getting angry try to remind yourself that while you can’t control can control how you respond. It is what it is. Be gentle with yourself- this small bump in the road likely won’t matter tomorrow, or a week from now. No use wasting energy and ruining a perfectly good day otherwise! 

Recommendations?

Do you find you often get stuck in your comfort zone?
How do you feel about it?
How do you remedy it?

I would love to hear your recommendations on how you break out of your comfort zone!