Comfort Zones and Courage – Why Taking on Challenges Helps You Grow

Why do so many of us fear challenges, and what actually happens when we push ourselves to do something new? I recently joined BBC Radio One’s Life Hacks with Lauren Layfield and Shanequa Paris to explore this very question, and here’s what we uncovered.

Why Challenges Matter

Our brains are wired for safety. The amygdala – the part that processes fear – pushes us to avoid risk. While that helps protect us from genuine danger, it can also make us underestimate our own abilities. Taking on a challenge helps rewire the brain by creating new neural pathways. Every time we face discomfort and survive it, we build confidence, resilience and motivation.

What’s Happening in Your Brain?

• Dopamine boost: Completing a challenge triggers the brain’s reward system.
• Confidence gain: Each challenge overcome reinforces the belief that we can do hard things.
• Resilience building: Challenges often come with setbacks, working through them strengthens our emotional endurance.

Before You Begin – What Might Be Holding You Back?

Our self-doubt often comes from early experiences. If you were criticised or protected from failure as a child, you may fear mistakes or struggle to trust your ability. Knowing this helps you shift perspective. You can’t change the past, but you can choose how you respond to fear today.

Five Tips for Tackling a New Challenge

1. Set realistic goals – Not too easy, not impossible. Stretch yourself, but don’t overwhelm.
2. Know your why – Emotional motivation gets you through the tough parts.
3. Break it down – Smaller steps feel more manageable and less intimidating.
4. Expect setbacks – They’re not failure. They’re part of the process.
5. Visualise success – Rehearsing it mentally makes it more achievable.

Internal vs External Motivation

Some people thrive with external accountability – telling others, joining a group, or being coached. Others are internally motivated. The key is to know what works for you and build your challenge around that.

When You Feel Like Giving Up

• Reconnect with why you started.
• Take a break. Reset. Come back with new energy.
• Talk back to your inner critic. Reframe thoughts like “I can’t do this” into “This is hard because it’s meaningful.”
• Reflect on previous wins. Remind yourself of your own capability.

Helping Someone Else With a Challenge

Support isn’t just about cheering someone on. It’s about: - Helping them adapt when things go wrong - Reminding them of their reasons for starting - Celebrating their effort, not just the outcome - Being a safe space where failure isn’t feared

What You Gain From a Challenge

• Confidence – Proving you can do hard things.
• Resilience – Learning to keep going even when it’s tough.
• A stronger identity – Aligning action with your values builds self-belief.
• Perspective – Big challenges make smaller ones seem more manageable.

Final Thoughts

Taking on a challenge isn’t about being perfect, it’s about discovering what you’re capable of. Growth happens in the process, not just the results. So whether it’s running a marathon, performing on stage, asking for what you’re worth at work, or just trying something new, push the edge of your comfort zone. You might just surprise yourself.

If you would like to book Dr Carolyne Keenan for a talk, workshop or wellbeing session, PepTalk would love to help. You can email us at hello@getapeptalk.com, send us a message via the chat, or call +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US).