The topic of comfort

Interview with Sebastian Körber on the topic of the comfort zone

“Get out of your comfort zone” is a familiar phrase that is often used to motivate employees to perform better, but also to challenge oneself. Often it is not even questioned what the comfort zone of each individual even is, why we like to be in it and what is needed to be able to leave it sustainably.

As part of our series of interviews with motivational speaker Sebastian Körber, we were once again able to have an exciting conversation. You can find our previous interview on “Motivation” here.

Has our comfort zone been anchored in us since the beginning of time or has it become a problem of modern time?

Like most human characteristics and habits, staying inside of our comfort zones is deeply ingrained in our being. Even the prehistoric man was already aware of the safety of the comfort zone. Unlike today however, our ancestors are known to have lived risky lives. They needed to divide their energy sensibly so that in an emergency, for example in the event of an attack, they could quickly access all their energy supplies. In order for this not to be wasted pointlessly, people at that time did not look for provocative challenges and thus saved energy for hunting, reproduction and the escape from predators. As a result, man was able to retreat to the safety of their home and relax in quiet moments.

This ritual has been passed down to the present day - even though we no longer have to fear predators, such as saber-toothed tigers and most of us are spared hunting for prey in order to get lunch.
What has remained, however, is the need for a safe haven - a place where we know all procedures and where almost nothing can happen to us. This place - as individual as it is - is our comfort zone.

What characterizes the comfort zone and how can I tell that I am currently in it?

The comfort zone is not the same for everyone. Some people feel particularly safe and comfortable when their working day runs according to a rehearsed rhythm and they don't have to prepare for energy-consuming meetings, unexpected calls or discussions. Others enjoy starting every day with a gym session, which gives them the security of still being athletic and fit. Both types are in their respective individual comfort zones if they follow these rituals on a daily basis and do not want to stray from them.

You see: the comfort zone has nothing to do with passivity. If you feel comfortable and safe with going to the gym every day, it will be a greater hurdle for you to temporarily give up this ritual in favor of another activity. A teacher who follows the same teaching program every year is inside their personal comfort zone and moving away from their teaching pattern would be a strenuous process for them.

The same goes for people who like or don't like being in the center of attention. One side steps out of their comfort zone when they dare themselves to give a presentation. For the others it is a new step to let employees or other team members to take the lead and trust their abilities. Therefore, there is no such thing as “the one comfort zone”.

In which situations are you particularly at risk of falling into the comfort zone trap?

As already mentioned, the comfort zone is often about ritualized behavior that does not require great physical exertion (mental and / or physical). As long as we continuously do not recognize where our limits are and do not voluntarily go beyond them, we are in the comfort zone

Burn-out numbers are increasing. For those affected, is the constant need to break out of their comfort zone and the strong ambition to want to be successful at work the cause?

Not necessarily. Of course, it is likely that a person who is constantly working beyond their own capabilities, does not sleep enough and takes little to no breaks is at higher risk of getting sick. However, again, one must consider in a more differentiated manner whether this type of "overworking" can’t also be considered as the comfort zone of the individual person.

Sebastian Körber gives us a suitable example here:

A young manager works well over 8 hours a day in their job. The person works extremely hard, is ambitious and wants to climb the career ladder. But they also have a partner that is waiting at home for them and wants to spend time with them. The frequent absence leads to tension and conflicts in the relationship that can only be resolved through unpleasant and honest conversations. But instead of facing these tensions, our example person puts even more energy and time into work and thus flees from the ensuing conflict with their partner. Although this behavior may lead to an increase in their success at work, the real problem at home remains with their escape to the office. In the long term, a burnout may also occur professionally, but this is more due to the fact that the person withdraws more and more into their safe territory (work = comfort zone) and thus withdraws from the situation at home.

Likewise, those who are successful at work do not necessarily find themselves outside their comfort zone during work. The comfort zone is always the place of least resistance. A safe place where you can control everything and not feel exposed to unpleasant situations. It is also often said that someone “takes refuge in his or her work” when he or she has private problems.

Of course, this is just an example. It can also be the case that over-ambitious young professionals think that they need to go beyond their psychological and physical limits on a daily basis and no longer pay attention to their bodies and needs. Both should always be in balance so that a person can live a healthy and happy life.

Does it automatically mean that I'm demotivated just because I'm inside my comfort zone?

No, because as already written in the above example, the processes that take place in the comfort zone can be quite fulfilling. We like to do the things we do inside of our comfort zone. The comfort zone is not necessarily the sofa in our living room at home, where you can make yourself comfortable with chips and a beer. The comfort zone can also be the gym or your own YouTube channel. The decisive factor here is not so much the motivation to do something, but rather the overcoming of doing something where the outcome is uncertain and of which we may be afraid of.

Being in the comfort zone can be detrimental to health

Why is that? Colloquially the comfort zone stands for convenience, comfort and relaxation. However, at the same time it also means that you are not developing yourself further and the brain has no “active task” if you are simply following the same processes daily and do nothing that promotes your personal development. This can even lead to depression in susceptible people. In this case one does not speak of burn-out, but of bore-out. This too, is one more reason to say goodbye to the permanent comfort zone.

What is the fastest way to leave the comfort zone?

You can do this best by setting small goals for yourself. Everyone has something that scares them or obstacles that they need to overcome. This may be a phone call or a dentist appointment that has been postponed for a long time.

It is important that the challenge is feasible and not too difficult to overcome. For example, suppose that a neighbor keeps disrupting your sleeping by playing loud music every weekend. However, you are afraid to tell them because you haven’t learned to speak your mind or face conflicts. Therefore, your comfort zone is to simply stay in your apartment and be angry.

That sounds and surely is not comfortable, but it would be much easier for said person to stay in their uncomfortable comfort zone than to overcome their fear of direct confrontation with their neighbor. The first way out of the comfort zone is to talk to the neighbor - ideally not only when the problem actively occurs, but rather the day after, as an example. This is not about being unfriendly and starting an argument, it is more about articulating your own need for more rest and asking your neighbors to be quieter at their next party.

Once you have dared to do this, you will notice that the situation that the brain has assessed as threatening, is not that dangerous after all. Maybe the neighbor will be stubborn, but perhaps they’ll be understanding. No matter how they react: The person in our example has learned to do something that they would otherwise not do and are now able to leave their comfort zone. Once this has happened, the brain releases happiness hormones, which ensure that their fear threshold will drop in their next conflict situation.

If you train this approach in small, feasible steps, you will see that you will start leaving your comfort zone more often and you will begin to face your own fears.

Leaving the comfort zone - in a nutshell

Even if the name may suggest it, the comfort zone has nothing to do with passivity. It only describes circumstances in which we feel comfortable and secure, but which can also slow down our personal development.

If you want to leave your comfort zone, you should do so in small steps and repeat the process regularly. This way you will not only learn to outgrow yourself, but you will also overcome old fears.