Over the summer I was at this moment in my life where I felt like I was standing still. I knew I was growing out of certain aspects of my life, but at the same time, I was afraid to move forward with the new. Getting outside my comfort zone has always been tough for me, and going through a time of depression I had become closed off so it was hard for me to reach out when feeling lonely. I knew the solution was within myself and it was directly linked to GETTING OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE!

So where to start when wanting to try new things? I would first start by writing a list of things you are interested in. Think back over your life, what things did you love to do as a child? What things have friends done that you thought would be cool to try? Google “interests and hobbies” and see what comes up. Once you have this list compiled together pick one thing from the list. For mine, I have been wanting to join a kickball league. It sounded fun and silly and I needed more of that in my life.

There are a couple different options when trying something new. If you are afraid to try something new alone ask some friends if they would like to try it out with you. This way you feel more comfortable having some friends around. This can be a lot of fun, but it also can keep you from making new friends.

The second way is to see if any of your acquaintances are already doing the activity. This is how I started with kickball. Originally I looked online to sign up alone to a team where I didn’t know anyone, but I freaked and chickened out. Then a year later (yes it took me like 2 years to finally join a team!) I found out a friend of one of my close friends was on a team and they were looking for extra players. This worked out perfect. I had hung out with this acquaintance a couple of times so I was comfortable around her, but then I was able to meet ten new people on the team.

The last way is for the brave, you head to the activity alone. I have done this with a church group, and I am going to do it again this winter for a painting class. Once you become more comfortable trying new things it becomes easier to attend events by yourself. Also, some great ways to meet people and try new things is through www.meetup.com. They have so many different groups in a range of hobbies/topics. The best part about attending these groups by yourself is it forces you to talk to other people, and you already have that one interest in common so it is a great conversation starter.

Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone can be scary, but “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” (Neale Donald Walsch)

XO,

Ellie Curry