Why you should do something every day that scares you

THAT comfort zone feels pretty comfy, right? Well it's not going to get you anywhere. Here are five good reasons to push yourself.

Who knew about shichimi togarashi already and didn't tell me?

WHEN Eleanor Roosevelt wisely said you should do one thing every day that scares you, she didn't mean watch Scream or Google your flu symptoms to see if you've got cancer.

She was talking about comfort zones.

They're those cosy places most of us live every day, where stress and risk are minimised by a steady level of comfort.

But that's not going to get you anywhere, is it?

Science has proven that doing something that scares you will make you more productive, prepare you for new and unexpected changes, help you push your boundaries in the future, and make it easier to harness your creativity.

So what risky activities should you add to your to-do list?

Well, here are five examples of brave people who did things that would probably scare the rest of us. And look at how well it turned out for them.

1. Strike up a conversation with a stranger

This pair became friends decades ago when one struck up a conversation with the others at the Oscars, natch.

"Fear makes strangers of people who would otherwise be friends," Shirley Maclaine once said.

And the Oscar-winning actress should know.

She's beamed recently about her tight friendship with Downton Abbey co-star Maggie Smith.

She says their 40-year friendship would never have been if one didn't strike up a conversation with the other at an awards night decades ago.

"(Maggie) told me that we had met 40 years ago backstage at the Oscars next to the catering table," Maclaine recently recounted to Britain's Express.

"I was up for something, and there was this big chocolate cake on the catering table. And whatever I was up for, I lost, and somebody else won.

"Maggie said, 'You know what you did, dear? You tucked right into that chocolate cake and said, 'F*** it! I don't care if I'm thin ever again'."

And they've been thick as thieves ever since.

Experts advise that the easiest way to turn a stranger into a friend is to detach yourself from the potentially humiliating outcome, tolerate rejection, remember to smile, and make the person laugh. Easy.

2. Disconnect from your gadgets

Is your phone the first thing you see in the morning and last thing you see at night?

We're always asking how anyone managed to survive before the advent of smart phones, right?

Well, we did survive. Thrived, in fact.

So it's possible to turn back the clock and disconnect a little. The results might surprise you.

Blogger and tech guru Jake Knapp was getting sick of the infinite distraction in his pocket, so he decided to wipe his iPhone clean.

No web browser. No email. No Twitter. No Instagram. No Facebook. Nothing with a stream at all.

And how does he feel about it? Happier!

His iPurge started as a week-long experiment, and he's kept it going ever since because it's improved his life.

"I do think it only takes a day to find out if you feel better distraction-free," he wrote over at Medium.

"So if you're on the fence right now, give it a shot. Disable those apps. After all, you can always undo it."

3. Give something significant away

Chuck Feeney has a lot to give away, and he plans to.

We are very attached to our possessions, but what would happen if you gave away something valuable?

There's no way of knowing unless you do, of course. But here's an example of someone who gave away almost everything he'd amassed.

Admitedly, American billionaire Chuck Feeney had a lot to give away, and even after donating 99 per cent of his sizeable fortune to charity, he's still got a whopping $2 million in the bank.

And what's it done for him? Well, there are probably some pretty great tax write-offs involved with such staggering donations, but Mr Feeney has also earnt some incredible warm fuzzies in return.

For his donations, he's helped fight the AIDS virus in South Africa, contributed almost $1 billion to his alma mater Cornell University and boosted education in Ireland to the tune of $1 billion.

And on our shores, he gave $102 million to help set up the Queensland Institute of Medical Research - the largest medical donation in Australia's history.

4. Ask for help

Ryan Suffern is not afraid to ask for help. His reward? Best brother ever status.

Asking someone for help - especially someone we respect - can be a fearsome minefield.

What if they say no? What if you inadvetently point out a personal shortcoming that no-one saw before? Is asking for help a sign of weakness?

But if you ask, you're most likely to receive.

And in return, you should give your support generously to others.

Still not sure? Well, be inspired by Ryan Suffern, an 8-year-old boy who turned to Santa when he needed help.

His letter is the cutest thing you'll read today, and we're sure it's earned him lifelong brownie points with his twin sister, Amber.

5. Try something new

Who knew about shichimi togarashi already and didn't tell me?

All right, this is my own anecdote, just to prove that I practise what I'm preaching here.

As a very regimented eater, I'm pretty resistant to new things. I love food, but I specifically love the foods I already eat day in, day out.

Why risk a bad meal by straying from the list of comestibles you already know and love?

So for the purpose of facing my fears, I went to the supermarket and promised to buy the food with the most unusual name and eat it for dinner that night.

Enter, shichimi togarashi.

This miracle-in-a-packet is a centuries-old Japanese seasoning and its name means seven-flavour chili pepper.

I sprinkled it over my veggies that night and haven't looked back ever since. The best.

You might think this is a trivial and low-stakes example of pushing through personal boundaries. But maybe you haven't tasted shichimi togarashi.

So tell us: When did you last scare yourself? Tell us about it in the comments below or continue the conversation on Twitter @newscomauHQ

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