Why being out of your depth is a good thing

I’m writing this post after a day of feeling a bit out of my depth so it’s as much a reminder to you as it is to myself that being out of your depth is most definitely a good thing. It means you’re being challenged, trying new things and learning from mistakes so you can improve.

Being in your comfort zone may feel nice but if you never venture out of what you’ve always known, how can you grow and develop?

Whether you’ve been asked to do things at work you feel unqualified or unskilled to do, you feel out of your depth around certain kinds of people or you’re just having one of those days where everything seems to feel overwhelming, hang on in there. You’ll soon be feeling full of energy and on top of things again.

Feeling out of your depth socially

We don’t have to get on with everyone and we have no one but ourselves to impress. Sometimes through their own insecurities, some people like to find faults in other people to make themselves look and feel better. I often pick up on stuff like this — so whether you do or don’t, screw what other people may or may not be thinking of you. Listen to the people you care about and don’t let others use use to boost their own ego.

Feeling out of your depth at work

If you’ve recently got a new job or you’ve been given extra responsibilities, feeling out of your depth is common. Be as productive as you can and never beat yourself up because you think you’ve failed or could have done the job better. Just keep a positive outlook and learn from it. It might feel tough right now but think how much you will have learned in the long run.

Feeling out of your depth in life

You have bills to pay, work is getting you down, and your relationship isn’t going well — whatever is going on, breathe, eat some good food, spend some time with people you care about and think about the things that are going well in your life — even if they’re small things. Recognise that your state of mind is a choice and that you’re not a slave to your thoughts.

Solutions

Meditate

Meditate for 10 minutes focusing on your breath — don’t let your thoughts get the better of you. All you have is the present moment and it feels amazingly calm.

Treat yourself

If you’ve been beating yourself up for doing something wrong, feeling inadequate or not being as happy as you could, show yourself you care. Spend time cooking yourself a meal that looks and tastes amazing, relax in a hot bath, read a great book or just spend time with people who make you laugh.

Change your frame

You have the power to change your frame or outlook no matter how trapped or out of your depth you may feel. NLP practitioners talk about reframing situations — whether it works or not is up to you to give it a try, but it might help to put seemingly negative situations into perspective.