Try a Different Laundry Soap
By: Peggy Willms
(4 min. read)
We are on this planet to gain knowledge. Knowledge is power and having “power or control” arms you with more information to make better decisions and live life to the fullest.
Stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t easy for everyone, but have you noticed some tackle it easier than others? Why? They have gathered information along the way. They have adjusted and shapeshifted. They have improved their thoughts and feelings regarding change and developed coping skills that work for them. Maybe this is why I have moved 25 times, and I am good at it. I survived.\
You don’t have to leap outside your comfort zone. Baby steps matter. Get your feet wet by dabbling versus diving right into something foreign or even scary.
Seeking a different profession, starting a new relationship, or moving to Georgia are significant changes whereas drinking another brand of coffee or using a different laundry soap is less scary. Yet the similarities in how you face the changes and what you do about them can be very similar. Your angst or even defensiveness can arise whether you are trying to conquer your fear by bungy jumping or trying to expand your horizon by eating new vegetables. It can be quite comical to see how deep our heels dig into the ground when the word lima beans comes up. Can you hear yourself?
I don’t want to eat at a new restaurant. I don’t want to work out in the evening. I don’t want to read a book. I don’t want the couch on that wall. Eeeew fish. How do you feel when you are asked or even pushed outside your comfort zone? Are you having a two-year-old tantrum?
Expanding knowledge and improving personal growth happens the fastest outside your comfort zone. Let’s say you love techy stuff. You could learn how to build your website by watching a YouTube video or reading a book. But when I mention doing a Facebook Live or calling a guy you have had your eye on for six months, those two things might scare the bejesus out of you because you haven’t left the house in six months.
There is nothing wrong with starting simple. Our brain adapts to change in similar manners because our thoughts and emotions drive the change. Your past dictates your present, and the present can dictate your future. You can relearn how to conquer changes, especially the “change” you do not want to happen in the first place.
Do you take on adventures with a go-get-um attitude? If so, either your parents or friends influenced you, or you have taken chances in your past, allowing you to gather the data you needed to enjoy trying new things. Are you a worldwide traveler? Somewhere along the way, you tried it and experienced a positive outcome. So you went on repeat. Good or bad, you are now armed with the data on whether you enjoyed it or not.
Creating habits can be healthy, but it can also be unhealthy. Conceptually, it makes sense a healthy habit is going to bed at a decent time versus 2 AM. But the same ole same ole can be unhealthy. Our brain needs to be challenged. Why do you think there are so many brain teaser games? The brain wants you to sit on the couch and do absolutely nothing. But it adapts once you step outside of that comfort zone and create a habit or learn a new skill.
It is in the battle or test that you realize what works and what doesn’t. This is why some people take 21 days to improve a habit, whereas others take a week. Those who take a week have likely tried many things and learned how they need to adjust. Those who have to keep trying things repeatedly to embed a habit didn’t entirely absorb all the lessons. This is why taking baby steps with being uncomfortable can turn into doing many things that push you to gain knowledge and grow personally, allowing you to experience life to its fullest.
How often have you automatically performed your morning routine, gotten in your car, headed to work, and not even realized how you got there? I’ve asked clients who struggle with change to try a different route to work so we can see what they learn. How did it feel? Did you stop at a new gas station? Did it take you longer? The resistance is often similar regardless of the “what.” Trying new things is NEW.
Start by trying to shower at a different time of day, walk at 6 AM instead of going to the gym and hitting the treadmill, or try a new laundry soap. And gather the information.
Did the change cause a little bit of anxiety or drum up defensiveness? Did you make the change quickly and adapt? What successes or obstacles did you have along the way?
Habits become automatic. When you feel “automatic” in any or all areas of your life, make a change. Buy a plant, sign up for a class, and try baking your first lemon loaf. Watching Golden Girls over and over and over isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but trying a documentary might not be as bad as you think. And trying Gain instead of using Tide might teach you something.
Stepping outside your comfort will stir up thoughts and emotions, and it WILL take energy.
This week, try something really simple. For example, only wear bright colors to work, use a different cleaning product, eat different foods, or answer your emails at 8 AM and 2 PM instead of all day. This can be really fun, and it can also be really difficult. Regardless, I guarantee you will learn something profound within yourself.
Peggy Willms
All Things Wellness, LLC
peggy@allthingswellness.com
The information provided is the opinion of the author. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice: diagnosis or treatment. The author, the business, All Things Wellness, LLC, and its owner Peggy Willms, are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this article or website. We assume no responsibility for tangible and intangible damages such as physical harm caused by using a product, loss of profits or loss of data, and defamatory comments. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
