4-H kids get out of their comfort zones in a safe environment
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“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Anthony Robbins.
Walking around in your hometown down the same streets, seeing the same friends and doing the same things might make you feel happy and content of complacent. You watch the same shows, you eat the same food, you play the same games and you listen to the same music. So why step out of that comfort zone? Well, your growth may depend on it.
There are benefits to breaking the mold and stepping out of your comfort zone. There is magic out there for youth! By stepping out into that unknown, youth can gain, confidence, self-awareness, new interests and life skills. By trying new things, meeting new people and experiencing different points of view, youth are preparing themselves to handle change in the future and they will become more productive as a person.
According to an article in Psychology Today, “5 Benefits of Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone” by Abigail Brenner M.D. from New York University, practicing getting out of the comfort zone early in life allows youth to prepare for major changes they may face in the future. Through these small risk taking moments, youth build a larger comfort zone to cope with adversity. And it can benefit them whether it’s from a success or a failure.
Failure is an option. Especially in a safe environment like 4-H. 4-H Youth Development programing allows youth to experience new cultures, meet new people, explore new interests and gain new perspectives. With understanding adults in an unpressured environment, youth don’t have to make the grade or pass the test. They just have to be willing to explore, eager to learn and bold enough to try. They may find great discoveries if they do! (Often, discoveries come from failures.)
Youth may find great discoveries within themselves, too. What great talent is waiting to get out? What passion has not been pursued yet? What development has not been discovered? The more youth engage in exploration, the more comfortable they are in other new settings and life changing events that are sure to come. The more confidence they gain, the better off they will be.
Youth need to push themselves. If they do, they gain more in the end. Like a muscle that does the same exercise every day, it will stop getting stronger or bigger. But if we add weight or changed the exercise, we build stronger, more adaptive muscles and ultimately a better body to handle any environment. This is true for youth experiences, too. If they get out of their comfort zone and try something new (working a new muscle), they may realize they have more in themselves than they thought. They may realize a new skill, new talent or at the very least, gain an experience they can draw back on.
There is an “optimal anxiety” that researchers are finding is beneficial for humans. That can vary in people and places, and there can be, and usually is, productive discomfort while taking a risk or experiencing something new. But within 4-H, there is such a wide range of programs taught by experts in the field in a safe environment that they balance this well and meet the needs of any individual. It truly is an optimal place for youth to practice getting out of their comfort zone. With youth development and learning at its core, a 4-H experience will allow youth to grow here.
For more information on 4-H Youth Development programs and life skills, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.
