Just stay in bed for a while

„Great things never come from comfort zones". Sentences like this are often read on Instagram. Especially first thing in the morning, because let's be honest: after waking up, your phone takes priority. Whether you want it to or not. Immediately, the latest Instagram Stories with influencers jump out at you, who have already meditated at 5:30 a.m., gone for a half-hour jog, treated themselves to a small acai bowl at 10 o'clock, only to be fit for the day ahead. This day is of course already fully planned. After a few minutes, you then see yourself in your phone's screen, perhaps still a bit dishevelled and with tired eyes. You feel this pressure to get your life under control, because the way you're currently shaping your day is obviously not right. "Maybe I really should get going," you think to yourself. It gets to the point where a guilty conscience creeps in when you sit on the sofa for a bit longer — something better could be done with your time: finding yourself, baking banana bread, writing or drawing, to name a few prominent examples. You're constantly supposed to face new challenges, take risks, grow beyond yourself. Apparently, this is the only way to be successful in the long term, find ultimate happiness and ultimately become the best version of yourself. Of course, there is a lot of truth in this line of thinking, because whoever never engages with new possibilities will ultimately find it difficult to achieve their desired goals. For your own happiness, you do have to become active from time to time, accept rejection and leave your own comfort zone of sacred convenience. But here lies a pretty important and decisive point: if you're satisfied with your current way of living, you don't have to "torment" yourself trying to live up to some ideal. And no, this is not meant to speak badly of various activities that are often seen on social media. If you feel like it and actually want to try something new, that's great. However, if you're already in a bad mood in the morning because this one thing still "has to" be done, then that's when your inner alarm bell should ring. Just because apparently everyone spends their day this way doesn't mean you have to strictly follow this routine. Because the truth is: everyone only shows what they're proud of, what they want to be admired for, just "the beautiful things". And actually, that's no secret. Everyone knows that by now. 

I don't want my text to convey that both your own hard work and the motivation to achieve goals are ultimately overrated and we should all just chill aimlessly in bed. It's much more important to me that you distinguish between compulsion and openness to new things. If you're actually not satisfied with how your day is being shaped, it's probably advisable for your health to find the cause and work on it. Then you must, or rather can (!), take the plunge and leave your own comfort zone. Perhaps let new people or activities into your life.  

To give an all-clear here as well: by all means, you can stay in bed two hours longer. And in your cosy bed, you're welcome to have breakfast until 2 p.m., simply and conventionally with jam on toast. You can certainly cancel that meeting with friends if you notice that an evening alone would also do you good. You just don't feel like it, and no one will hold it against you for not being there. As long as you feel good about it, there's nothing wrong with that. Your own comfort zone doesn't always have to be broken through anew, because it's not inherently an evil that must be overcome. In the comfort zone you feel comfortable and, lo and behold, "great things" happen there too. Because ideally you have your loved ones around you and can do the things that interest you. You're constantly integrating new things into your comfort zone, but some things also need to be "sorted out" from time to time. This can be activities, but also people who have only been part of your life for a certain period. Perhaps we should learn to accept our own comfort zone more, because it's not as petty as its reputation suggests. You decide where it begins or ends right now. Whether you feel like socialising at the moment or whether you need your time for yourself is in your hands. And that is incredibly valuable. 

Karina Thiem