“I’ve never felt so much out of my comfort zone”, she said. To which her friend – who’s been comfortably seating at the same desk for the past ten years – replied: “That’s very positive! Embrace the challenge!”

Maria João Podgorny

Hmmm. Easier said than done.

The expression ‘comfort zone’ has become part of universal jargon both in its original version – “sai da tua comfort zone!” – and literal translations – “il a quitté sa zone de confort”. Note that this expression always follows the verb to leave and that it’s always presented in a unidirectional movement: I’ve never heard anyone speaking of someone ‘walking into’ his/her comfort zone. It has also become a universally accepted truth that there is something to be gained from exploring uncharted territory. It is a much sought-after feature on resumés, and the number of articles, books and coaching sessions on ‘how to step out of your comfort zone’ has exploded.

Why is that? And if stepping out of your comfort zone is good for you, why does it generally feel bad?

International professionals are a homogeneous lot, and standing out requires possessing clear differentiating factors.  One way to stand out is to have a diverse personal and professional narrative to tell. It can revolve around the fact that you’ve lived in different countries, worked in different industries, interrupted your career to go back to school, spent 3 months volunteering on a refugee camp, or distributed food to homeless people in your neighborhood. Being able to vouch for different experiences that imply, to varying degrees, stepping out of your comfort zone, will most likely play to your benefit. It strengthens the uniqueness of your CV, and is valued by employers who want reassurances that you will cope with expatriation, as professional success is becoming ever more synonymous with relocation.

If you are used to stepping out of your comfort zone, you will be more capable to interact with people from different backgrounds, to explore different view points on the issues you care about, and more generally to improve yourself and to become a better, more empathetic person.

I am, personally, a great believer in exploring uncharted territory. It’s difficult, but enriching. However, the benefits of leaving your comfort are perceived only in retrospect; when you’re deep into it, it generally feels pretty bad. Sometimes you can cope with that feeling of vulnerability and uneasiness. Despite the hardships, you feel strong enough to go ahead with the challenge. However, there are also moments in life when stepping out of your comfort zone is too trying. In those cases, I reckon there’s no use being stubborn. It’s OK if, for whatever reason, you don’t feel strong enough to explore new territory. It’s difficult to admit it, both socially – because the pressure to never look back and not fail is huge –, and personally – because it’s difficult to accept our own shortcomings. But actually, I find that being able to backtrack from whatever new adventure you’ve gotten yourself into, if it turns out you’re not up for it, is a sign of maturity and courage, of self-knowledge and self-respect. And that should also be valued by employers.