Living inside your comfort zone?

[samtheman]

This is something I've been doing for years without really realising it. I get up in the mornings, go to work, come home and repeat Mon - Fri, I live in a small village and on weekends I might venture to the shop in the mornings for the papers and that's about it, and so the cycle continues, and for the most part I have no anxiety.

Now should something crop of that makes me having to venture outside my comfort zone or routine my anxiety comes back, say for instance I have a wedding to go to, I get anxiety days before, on the day of the event I get IBS symptoms, the cramps, diarrhoea etc and I am anxious until I get in that car to go home where I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

So living day to day doing the same thing following the same routine can give you a false sense of security, you'd be forgiven for thinking your pretty much anxiety free when in actual fact you have built your life around your comfort zone.

Anyone else relate to this?

[oh no_1]

yes i was saying how i dont understand how i travel to work etc etc without thought
but then yest went to a leeds meet and it was the scariest thing i ever done

[swgrl09]

Definitely. I think people in general feel more comfortable with routine, and then add in somebody who has anxiety and that makes it even more difficult to go outside the comfort zone. I know if I have a plan and a routine set up and something changes it last minute, I get very anxious.

[theharvestmouse]

If you live in your comfort zone then you will never ever get over the anxiety. I've dabbled out of my comfort zone, but never for long enough, its hell. Then I have now gone back into my comfort zone and that is hell in another way, its depressing.

Know how you feel.

[kittikat]

I definitely exist in my 'comfort zone' and find it very anxiety provoking to go further afield. My house is my 'safe place' too. It really is no way to live but it just seems to evolve like this over time -it kind of becomes the norm....there is a life out there just waiting for us somewhere, it's gaining the courage and confidence to live that life which I find so hard with anxiety. I have to plan everything down to the last T and even then it is not easy. It can be very depressing that's for sure and I can definitely relate to your thread. Kitti :)

[sarahblonde32]

yes for defintate, on a general day to day i can be fine, had a couple of blips at work, but mostly i can go about the day feeling fine. I can even go to the gym fine. But as soon as something comes up that i have to do outside of my zone its PANIC!! i have noticed that if i do something or go somewhere, i have to ration with myself, if i am comfortable and can be relaxed with the people or the place that i am going then im fine. if not, its terrible. eg, there is a friend of mine that suffered anxety and knows about me so when i go out with her, im fine because im relaxed.
damn anxiety, i wish there was a cure.:mad: xx

[AnxiousBaker]

I get this 100%. Living within your comfort zone you seem to convince yourself you are actually ok but deep down you realise life is passing you by. Missing chances to do stuff, chances for love or whatever.
I was told earlier this year i had to go on a day trip for work, usual boring type course! This sent me into a ridiculous cycle of thinking it might go wrong and what id im sick on this day and cant get there....
It is so depressing! Vicious cycle.
Comfort zone is something we can all relate too!

[Sparkle1984]

Yes I live within my comfort zone a lot of the time. Many of my phobias are to do with speaking to people on the phone, or organising certain outings etc. So I avoid them, but then I realise I'm missing out on things. CBT is helping me to get over this, but it's a long process.

[susan1963]

hi samtheman, i too am the same, ive been like it for years :)