Red, Green, or Blue. Are You in the Growth Zone?
Before I tell you about the growth zone, I’d like to tell you the story behind it. Before my freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to go on a 10-day wilderness trip with other soon-to-be freshman. As someone who liked camping and going to summer camps, I thought this would be a great way to meet new people before the official start of my first college semester. I read the brochure and packed my bags, but I was not prepared for what was to come.
I arrived with packed bags like all of the others. Within a few moments, I had a trip guide sorting through my stuff to make sure I had only the essentials. Deodorant—one! “Extra” pairs of underwear—gone! Shocked and confused about how I was going to make it 10 days without some of these items, I continued as instructed. Within a short while, we were on the trail getting a tutorial on how to go to the bathroom in the woods. By this time, I had come to realize that there were no bathrooms, limited toilet paper, no tents (hello tarps!), and a bunch of strangers I no longer wanted to be around to share this experience with.
Throughout the trip, I lived in my head. I was completely uncomfortable, out of my comfort zone, and daydreaming regularly that my parents would pop out from behind the trees to save me. Spoiler alert—hey never did!
At some point during the trip, we were asked to check in and rate how we were doing.
Were we:
Red—Completely out of our comfort zone to the point that there was no growth happening?
Green—Feeling stretched but growing? Or
Blue—So comfortable with the situation that we were not being stretched or challenged to grow?
Nonetheless, I totally lied and told everyone I was in the green zone. Obviously, that’s not what I would recommend for you. So, now I’m going to pose the same question to you. But first, think of a current challenge or life situation you are facing. Are you in the red zone, the place that is so stressful and overwhelming that finding growth is not possible? Are you in the green zone, the place where you’re feeling the stretch, but it ultimately still feels manageable? Or are you in the blue zone, the place where you are not growing due to lack of challenge?
And...don’t forget to rate honestly!
If you’re in the red zone, I’d like you to think about how you can calm some of that stress and overwhelm, so you can find yourself in a more comfortable emotional space.
If you’re in the green zone, just continue to allow yourself to be stretched, paying attention to when the stretching has eased up and when it has become too much.
If you’re in the blue zone, consider ways that you can “pick it up” a notch to challenge yourself more and allow growth to come in.
If you’re in the blue or green zone, please know that the clinicians at LifeSpring are here to support you as you pursue growth! For those of you in the red zone, we’re here for you too, and we can help show you some ways to calm down the intensity of what you’re experiencing.
Interested in knowing how this story has ended? I survived the 10 day trip, and have had at least 2 other work or volunteer related adventures that required the use of my new-found rustic-living skills. Bathrooms, showers, and toiletries still make me happy, but I can do without them (for a short period of time) if I have to.
If you are interested in finding your way to “the growth zone,” the therapists at our Towson, MD office, we would be more than happy to help! All you have to do is contact us or select a provider and schedule an appointment online.
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Written by: Melissa Wesner, LCPC
