Group Exercise: Comfort Zones

Adapted from Raising Student Aspirations:

Classroom Activities for Grades 9-12 by
Russell J. Quaglia and Kristine M. Fox
http://www.researchpress.com
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Reprinted with permission from Research
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Group Type:
Subject:

Leadership Groups
The Spirit of Adventure and Healthy RiskTaking

Grade: High School

The condition of spirit of adventure is about healthy risk taking. The
important thing to remember about this condition is that it is unique to the
individual. For example, one student may consider it a huge risk to give a
Content: class presentation, whereas another student may find it easy to speak in front
of the class. The challenge for counselors is to understand each students
tolerance for risk and then help all students better understand themselves.
Students will:
Demonstrate dependability, productivity and initiative
Demonstrate the motivation to achieve individual potential
Objectives:
Develop positive attitudes toward self as a unique and worthy person
Learn the goal-setting process
Understand change is a part of growth

Materials:

My Zones Activity Sheet

Pencils or pens
Chart paper, tape, and markers

1. Introduce your students to the three zones of the condition of spirit of

adventure.
The first zone is the comfort zone. While in this zone, people feel very
comfortable. For many of them, tasks and activities that fall under this
category include reading, watching TV, or playing sports. People do
not feel anxious while in this zone and find it easy to accomplish
whatever activity they are engaged in.
The second zone is the challenge zone. While in this zone, people feel
somewhat challenged. The activities that people in this zone engage in
may include, for example, taking up a new sport or speaking to a large
audience. Although these people will notice that they feel a bit
anxious, they still find that they are capable of accomplishing these
tasks. To achieve success in this zone is quite rewarding.

Activity:

The third zone is the panic zone. While in this zone, people feel
virtually helpless because they are confronted with a task for which
they are unprepared or haven't the experience. They know they have
little chance of succeeding, and the mere thought of the activity brings
on panic. Pushing people into their panic zone will thwart future risk
taking efforts.
2. Give students the My Zones Activity Sheet and have them write down a
few activities under each category of zones. You, too, should follow suit.
Optional: You may prompt students by suggesting that they represent the
zones visually through drawings or words on the chalkboard.
3. Tape three pieces of chart paper on a wall, with each piece of paper
representing one of the three zones.
4. Ask students to transfer the activities they wrote on their worksheet to the
appropriate piece of chart paper on the wall. You will quickly see that one
students comfort zone is another students challenge or panic zone. Ask
students to discuss their observations.
5. Lead the class in a discussion about risk-taking and moving beyond ones
comfort zone. Use your own personal examples and discuss the rewards that
occur when you master a task.

MY ZONES

Comfort Zone

Activity Sheet to
Printout:

Challenge Zone

Panic Zone

Discussion
Questions:

Enrichment:

1. What surprised you about your classmates zones?

2. How can you move from one zone to the next?
3. Which zone do you spend most of your time in? Explain
Have your students keep a journal of their zones for an entire week,
listing under the appropriate category their activities each day. By
keeping a journal, your students will be able to self-assess their risktaking behavior.

- Today we will be doing an activity, as well as discussing three zones that we each face
and how those zones can relate to setting goals in our lives.
-What do you think of when you hear the term comfort zone?
What types of activities do you think of?
o Watching tv
o Reading
o Playing sports (if youre a sporty person
o Something you like to do without thinking too much about it
How do you feel physically and/or emotionally when you do these
activities?
o Relaxed
o Comfortable
o Not scared really
Are these activities easy for you to accomplish?
o Most are extremely easy to do
-What about the term challenge zone?
What kinds of activities do you think are included in this zone?
o Learning a new language
o Learning a new sport
o Speaking in front of groups
o Performing in front of groups (musician, vocalist, dancer, etc.)
Do you feel the same completing these activities as you do for activities
within the comfort zone?
o No.
o More anxious, but not overly
o More challenged
o Requires you to think and keep your mind moving
Are you still able to complete these activities?
o After some work and practice, yes
o May feel anxious, but usually you can work through to get to final
result
o Not extremely overwhelming to the point of sickness
How do you feel emotionally when youve accomplished something of
this nature?
o Rewarded
o Like you want to keep trying
- How do you feel about the term panic zone?
What sorts of things would you be doing while in this zone?
o Something youve not been prepared to do or know you have little
chance in which to succeed
Being asked to pick up an instrument and play a song in
front of others when youve never played it before (ex:

when I was in marching band and had to march pregame

with only practicing once)
Taking a test over material several grade levels above you
that youre going to be graded on
Etc.
How do you feel when asked to do these things?
o Scared
o Unprepared/Not ready
o Stressed
o Like you dont want to try something risky again in the future or at
least for a while
-After handing out worksheet and discussing the zones, have students write out their own
personal examples of each zone (at least 2-3 for each)
-When finished, have volunteers come and write out one of their examples for each zone
on a piece of paper
-What do you notice about the examples listed on the paper?
Some peoples comfort zones may be another persons challenge or
panic zone.
Everyone is different and has different zones in their lives, but theres
nothing wrong with that
You dont have to stay in the comfort zone, though, and really, you
should aim for the challenge zone. You dont have to aim for the panic
zone, but the challenge zone is where you can keep pushing yourself
toward.
This is what you should try to keep in mind when youre establishing
goals in your life, whether they have to deal with your personal life,
academics, and/or future career
o Create short term goals that arent within your comfort zone,
but also arent within your panic zone. Instead, your goals
should challenge you enough for you to have something to
work towards, and allow you to feel rewarded when you do
something right.
o Your long term goals could possibly seem to be within the
panic zone for you right now, but creating short term goals to
that long term goal can help you take steps to that point.
Ex: Several years ago when I first made the long-term
goal of being able to talk in front of groups, that goal
was definitely within the panic zone (I couldnt even
stand in front of the classroom without tearing up and
shaking), but over time, I took small steps (and am still
taking steps) to get to the point where I feel I can talk in
front of groups.
So as youre finishing the section on goal setting in your health class,
and even after this class, try to keep in mind your comfort, challenge,
and panic zones and what things in your life fall within those zones.

Also think about how those zones can be applied to building those
goals in your life.