To move beyond your comfort zone…cultivate a safe place.

I am a deeply fearful person.

I could get into all the reasons why this is true. There are plenty. But really, the result is the same. Things scare me. And not “things” like mountain climbing or skydiving (although those too). Just, like, life in general. Meeting new people. Going new places. Setting boundaries. Expressing a slightly differing opinion.

My comfort zone is growing, but I still spend most of my business life outside of it.

Given the number of inspirational, courage-related business posts in the world, I suspect I’m not alone.

(I’ve read, like, all of them.)

I’ve written about how the moment before you do a thing is actually the scariest…and it is. But especially in your business, you don’t just jump once. You jump over and over again. And yes, that’s how you grow.

But your body doesn’t care about that. Each time is a fresh ZING in the old adrenals.

And don’t get me wrong, it’s magical. It stretches you in ways you could never imagine. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Seriously.

It’s just that there’s a flip side to all this stretching-of-comfort-zones. You can’t just push and push (and push and push and push) indefinitely. That’s where burnout lives.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you need a safe place.

A safe place isn’t the same as a comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone means staying still and avoiding the things that scare you. A safe place is a place to retreat and recharge between scary things…so you can keep doing them.

There’s a reason why there’s so much self-care and work-life balance talk in the business space. It’s because we’re constantly “out there,” pushing our edges, saying HELL YES to things that scare us, and figuring things out as we go.

To survive as an entrepreneur without burning out or freaking out, we need to cultivate a sense of safety. Sinking back into our bodies instead of living in our minds. Grounding our awareness into our surroundings. Allowing ourselves to rest and soften and heal. Taking a long, deep exhale.

And I don’t know, maybe this doesn’t resonate for you. Maybe you’re not scared of everything. Maybe you battle actual (or figurative) tigers daily and not much phases you. That’s amazing…and you still need a safe place. You need time and space to stop doing and just be.

Your safe place won’t be the same as mine. Safety is a feeling, and only you know when you’re experiencing it.  You’re allowed to relax. You’re allowed to rest. In fact, for long-term business sustainability, it’s a requirement.

It doesn’t have to be a Big Thing. It can be sitting outside and watching the birds. It can be lying down on the floor and rolling around. It can be singing. It can be painting. It can be walking around the block. It can be cuddling a dog (preferably your own unless you’re friends with an understanding dog parent).

It’s not what you do, it’s how you feel when you do it.

Walking the edge is easier when you have a soft, safe place to rest.