Illustration: Matija Medved

One Day at a Time

You’re Out of Your Comfort Zone. What Can You Do About It?

Daily insights on life in the face of uncertainty, by psychiatrist and habit change specialist Dr. Jud Brewer

Jud Brewer MD PhD
Elemental
Published in
6 min readApr 30, 2020

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Did you know that your mindset has a big impact on how you deal with uncertainty, and may impact your reaction not just to the current crisis, but to any life challenge you face?

I suspect that you, like me, have observed a few clear patterns regarding yourself lately. In the face of fear and uncertainty, some people seem stuck, even paralyzed, by all of this — while others are stepping up. Some are even stepping out of their shells, surprising themselves and those around them by what they are capable of in the face of danger.

Why is that?

We have all been forced out of our comfort zone by this global challenge and huge break in our routine. The million-dollar question, is what happens when we’re out of our comfort zone? Do we run back toward it, seeking safety in the familiar? Do we freak out and accidentally run the other way, into the proverbial panic zone where our brains shut down? Or do we plant our feet firmly in our current reality and step up to the challenge of learning what this new experience has to teach us?

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Jud Brewer MD PhD
Elemental

Addiction Psychiatrist. Neuroscientist. Habit Change Expert. Brown U. professor. Founder of MindSciences. Author: Unwinding Anxiety. www.drjud.com. @judbrewer