Daring to Try the New

It is ironic that I am writing about stepping out of your comfort zone, because I am the antithesis of someone who enjoys change, uncomfortable situations or feeling unconfident. I am a creature of habit – I frequent the same restaurants and drive the same routes. Despite my declared loathing of trying new things, from as small as ordering a mushroom dish at a restaurant to as large as taking on a new role, I often find myself jumping at new opportunities primarily because I struggle with saying no, even though it often causes me to step outside of my bubble. Even when asked to write this article, I was quite hesitant, but decided to take a chance and do something different, do something new.

Over the past two years, we have all been thrown into the deep end, into the crazy, into the uncomfortable. Never did my peers or I imagine that we would have completed our first year of counseling in a remote setting (2019–2020). Counseling students virtually and in person (at the same time!), switching to new schools/districts or moving into a new home, all during a pandemic, was quite a feat for many of us. Certainly, working from home as school counselors, event with the perk of no commute, was outside of our comfort zones. We thrive on building positive relationships with our students and these suddenly became much more difficult to manage with the increased confidentiality, technology/access and health/safety issues we faced remotely. But we each took a leap, not a step, outside of what we know, because we had to.

I used to believe that my comfort zone was my safe haven, a place devoid of risk or anxiety. Our comfort zones are just that: comfortable. However, they can stall growth, development and change; things that we, as school counselors, seek for our students. We encourage our students to expand their safe places by trying a new study strategy or coping skill, self-advocating or even eating in the cafeteria. Sometimes, we push them into the uncomfortable when we have to ask emotionally difficult questions. It can be arduous to create a change in behavior, because it is easier to let life remain the status quo than it is to work toward a different outcome. But what would life be without change? How are we, as school counselors, expanding our own sanctuaries, our comfort zones?

Taking risks and having new experiences is normal, and we should embrace it! Just as we encourage a growth mindset and goal setting within our students, we would benefit from practicing what we preach: believe in yourself and your experiences and set your own goals for each day, week, month or year. A new year does not have to start on January 1 – it can be any day you choose. Embrace the fear that may plague you or stop you from pursuing an opportunity! Fear or anxiety can turn into excitement by reframing your thoughts and taking small steps toward your goal(s). Allow yourself the freedom and opportunity to do what you have been thinking about for weeks or months. Try something new; perhaps that something new is even saying no when you already have too much on your plate.

Most of my proudest achievements were a result of some sort of discomfort: earning a personal record in a track event and promptly collapsing due to exhaustion, presenting at a conference despite the nerves I felt on the train ride into Manhattan or successfully skiing down a black diamond slope in the freezing rain. These are simple examples, and I urge you to reflect on your own proudest moments. Were you comfortable or uncomfortable? Confident or nervous?

As these past few years have shown, we can still grow, learn and excel at new things. When I ski, I am often astounded by the bravery of the five-year-olds flying down the mountain, their lack of fear, their excitement. Try to think like a child, and stop holding yourself back! It’s time to get uncomfortable and expand your comfort zone, so when you have to take a leap outside of it, that leap is not so big.

Contact Meghan Bradley, NJSCA Public Relations/Social Media co-chair, at mbradley@clarkschools.org.