Breathe dispels the myth that the comfort zone is always a breeding ground for indifference

Sometimes it might feel as though life is one endless swirl of positive advice, upbeat hashtags, calls to action and encouraging suggestions. In the pursuit of a better, happier, more fulfilled life, it seems that many exhortations centre on pushing limits, leaving comfort zones and challenging boundaries. The thinking seems to be that only when freed from one’s own limitations can someone truly experience what they’re capable of.

Of course, there are times when this is sound advice. Overcoming the negative self-talk that’s stopping you from submitting a job application, pushing yourself past nervousness to join a new club or squashing down shyness to strike up a conversation with someone at a party – these are all ways in which forcing yourself past your own personal safety net can be positive, even enriching. They’re also, in the scheme of things, really rather low-risk activities – indeed, the research of neuroscientists has shown that the human brain is wired to overestimate risk and underestimate ability to manage it. It’s thought this results in humans generally being driven by what they want to avoid, rather than what they want to achieve. We consciously choose not to risk failure – in whichever form it may take.