The Comfort Zone

As an indexer (probably an introvert), working from home, with only the cat to supervise my work, I have escaped the stress of employment. I don’t have to trek out daily regardless of the weather to deal with people who may be wishing that they were still at home. That does not mean that there is no stress. As a freelancer, I can’t escape the looming deadline or the “feast or famine” work availability that plagues all of us.

Work and Stress

Most of the stresses that I deal with are rather insidious: some of them are self-made. There is the pressure I feel when I know I’ve put off some of the “administrative” things related to my indexing business without a plan to deal with them. There is intermittent stress when there is a looming deadline. There may be physical stress from improper ergonomics for my work station. These are the hazards of my choice of work and I can control them.

Stress has become a “bad” word, but that applies only when it is long-term and severe. That kind of stress has serious mental and physical effects. Not all stress is bad—some mild stress can be healthy; it expands the comfort zone and keeps us learning.

A “comfort zone” is defined as a psychological state where things feel familiar and we feel that we are in control of the environment, and are experiencing low levels of stress and/or anxiety. That is how I want to work. Being in my comfort zone makes my work easier and enjoyable. In other words, I want my work to be within a comfort zone, but to push the edges into the “learning” zone so that I’m constantly expanding my comfort zone.

Too Much Comfort

While I want to avoid unhealthy stress and anxiety, that doesn’t mean I want sameness and boredom. One of the things that I like about indexing is that there is a constant intellectual challenge—a different one with each new project even when the subject is similar. Meeting deadlines can provide all the stress that I need. It is unavoidable but shortlived.

Staying completely within a comfort zone has a cost. Pushing the limits of the comfort zone with just a little stress keeps away boredom. I don’t subscribe to the “no pain, no gain” philosophy, so I’m willing to step outside my comfort zone to try new things with some mild anxiety (discomfort) because I will ultimately benefit from that. It expands my comfort zone–and gives me new boundaries.

If we don’t push the edges of that comfort zone, we will stagnate, but if we stray too far too quickly, we subject ourselves to the discomfort of anxiety and the deleterious effects of stress. There has to be a balance between work and relaxation. Hobbies and job selection are ways that I keep within my comfort zone but still push those boundaries.