At some point in the healing journey, we all hit a wall—a place where we’ve made progress, but find ourselves stuck in a cycle of comfort. We know what we need to do to grow—whether it’s waking up early for mindfulness practices, committing to regular exercise, or sticking to healthy routines—but we struggle to take consistent action. Instead, we hit the snooze button, skip workouts, or sabotage our progress in small ways, like overeating after the gym. Why does this happen?
This phase of healing is where we fall into comfortable stagnation. It feels safe, but it prevents us from pushing forward into deeper growth. Here, we’ll explore why this happens, how our brain plays a role in keeping us stuck, and how to break free from this cycle to continue our journey toward true transformation.
1. Understanding the Comfort Zone in Healing
The comfort zone in healing isn’t just about staying physically comfortable—it’s about staying emotionally safe. When we start making progress in our journey, there’s often a natural instinct to settle into what feels familiar and manageable. This is the point where we stop pushing ourselves toward new growth, even though we know there’s more work to be done.
This phase can look like:
– Hitting the snooze button instead of getting up for meditation or journaling.
– Overeating or indulging in habits that no longer serve us after making an effort, like working out or practicing self-care.
– Procrastinating or avoiding the very routines that helped us make progress in the first place.
It’s not that we don’t want to continue healing—it’s that we get comfortable with where we are, and moving forward feels daunting.
2. The Brain’s Role in Keeping Us “Safe”
Our brain is wired for survival, not necessarily for growth. This means that when we start changing old patterns or moving toward something new, our brain often perceives it as a potential threat. It wants to keep us safe and stable, so it resists change—even if the change is positive.
The brain also seeks to conserve energy. Establishing new habits, waking up early, or pushing ourselves in the gym requires effort and energy, so the brain naturally defaults to what feels easy and comfortable. This is why, despite our best intentions, we often sabotage our own healing journey by falling back into old habits.
3. How Self-Sabotage is a Form of Self-Protection
When we sabotage our progress, it’s easy to feel frustrated or think we lack willpower, but it’s important to understand that self-sabotage is often a subconscious form of self-protection. We resist stepping into the unknown—whether that’s emotional vulnerability, deeper healing, or more intense growth—because it feels unfamiliar and, therefore, unsafe.
For example:
– Overeating after a workout may be a way of comforting ourselves because we fear the changes that come with being healthier or stronger.
– Skipping morning routines could be our brain’s way of avoiding the inner work that we know is necessary but uncomfortable.
Self-sabotage isn’t about being lazy. It’s about the brain protecting us from the perceived discomfort of change.
4. Recognising When You’re Stuck in Comfort
It’s important to identify when you’ve hit a plateau in your healing journey. Here are a few signs that you may be stuck in comfortable stagnation:
– You feel restless or uninspired, even though you’ve made progress.
– You find yourself slipping back into old habits, routines, or behaviours.
– You’re avoiding the very practices that helped you grow—like skipping therapy, meditation, or workouts.
If these sound familiar, it’s a sign that your healing journey has hit a comfortable, yet stagnant, phase.
5. How to Break Free and Shift Your Consciousness
Breaking free from this stage requires a shift in mindset and a few practical steps:
1. Practice Mindful Awareness:
Start by becoming aware of your resistance. Reflect on why you’re avoiding the next step in your healing. What fears are coming up? What limiting beliefs are holding you back? Simply recognising these patterns can help you break through them.
2. Commit to Micro-Challenges:
Instead of trying to overhaul your entire routine, commit to small, manageable changes that push you slightly out of your comfort zone. For example, if waking up early feels overwhelming, start by waking up just 10 minutes earlier and building from there.
3. Visualise Your Future Self:
Take time to visualise what your life would look and feel like if you continued to grow and heal. How would you show up differently? What would this future version of you be capable of? This visualisation can serve as motivation to push past the comfort zone.
4. Seek Accountability:
Having an accountability partner or mentor can make a huge difference in staying committed when you feel stuck. Share your goals and struggles with someone who can help keep you on track and offer support when your motivation dips.
5. Reframe Discomfort as Growth:
Discomfort is often a sign that you’re growing. Reframe your mindset to view discomfort not as a threat, but as an essential part of healing. Growth requires us to step outside of what feels safe and familiar. Embrace the discomfort, knowing that it’s leading to transformation.
6. Embracing Discomfort as a Pathway to Healing
Healing is not a linear process—it’s filled with ups and downs, and moments where we feel stuck. But it’s important to remember that plateaus are part of the journey. The key is to recognise when comfort has turned into stagnation and to bravely push through the resistance.
Discomfort is inevitable in the healing process, but it’s also necessary. By embracing the challenges, we open the door to deeper healing, greater emotional well-being, and the transformation we seek.
The healing journey requires patience, self-compassion, and the willingness to step outside of the comfort zone when it’s time. If you find yourself stuck in comfortable stagnation, remember that it’s normal—but you don’t have to stay there. Take small, mindful steps, and trust that growth comes when we embrace the discomfort that leads to true transformation.
What’s one small step you can take today to push yourself out of your comfort zone? Whether it’s waking up a little earlier or spending a few minutes reflecting on your fears, commit to taking that first step toward deeper healing.