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The Comfort Trap: how getting out of your style-comfort-zone can invoke self-confidence and love


The comfort zone exists only to confine us to what we know, accept and are able to control. Let's get out of the comfort zone (read: trap); no growth is possible there. 

So that's a thing that came into my head just now, while I was thinking about how to write this post that I promised to write yesterday but was unable to due to crippling anxiety. It's weird how the majority of my anxiety resides in 'the comfort zone'. You'd think it would primarily dapple everything outside of what I know and am able to control, but no: work, everyday tasks, health - they are all drenched in it. Anxiety is a malevolent house cat, it sits at the end of your bed, awaiting the next time it might be able to make your life uncomfortable. 

But! This post is not about anxiety, that was merely a side-track I scooted down for a few moments. This post is about wearing things outside of your comfort zone and how doing so can change your life for the better. It can induce feelings of confidence, achievement, and most importantly self acceptance. For this out-of-the-comfort-zone clothing experiment, I tried out two different things I wouldn't normally wear: 1) a bikini and b) a strappy top without a bra. 

Here are my reflections, with pictures as proof (in case you didn't believe me)!


The (dreaded, but actually okay) Bikini 

A bikini is no mean feat for most women, it's small, requires (apparently) some degree of hairlessness and is basically the equivalent to wearing your underwear, but outside, in front of people and often on a beach/beside a pool. If confidence is not in abundant supply, it can be pretty difficult. 

But! It doesn't have to be. I always love that phrase, I'm not sure who coined it, but if you want a bikini body, 'put a bikini on your body'! And damn straight! I found the whole process very empowering. I wasn't wearing masses of layers to disguise the tattoos, scars and what I deem 'excessive bits' and it felt good. It felt nice to let loose, to dismiss all the insecurities that came with displaying any degree of skin and to say to myself, it's okay to show some skin, you're beautiful. 


This positive self-talk often comes from stepping outside of the comfort trap. There might be a dress that you really love but feel 'wouldn't suit' you or just 'isn't you'. But if you love it, the style part of your brain is trying to tell you something: you should wear that dress. Maybe you think it wouldn't suit you because you've set parameters on what you feel comfortable in, or maybe it might accentuate parts of your body you feel don't look great. Well, I promise you, stepping outside in that dress might be difficult at first, but it will be wonderful in the end. 

Self-confidence is yours for the taking! I certainly obtained some by wearing this bikini. It's from Monki by the way. 


No Bra? Madness! 

In Winter, I'll go braless at the drop of a hat. In fact, I'd rarely wear one. I was a true jumper dweller and my nipples were never at risk of appearing unexpectedly, they were safely buried beneath layers of clothing. 

In Summer, it's not so easy. It's hot and layers are not a viable option, in fact, it's even sometimes too hot for bras anyway. But I really struggle to be care-free and bra-free at the same time. So, today, I braved it. 

Ultimately, nipples should not be sexual in any way, they serve a function entirely separate from sex and should not be considered taboo, but unfortunately they are. And this needs to change, I would love it to change. There are merely ducts atop some breast tissue. Men have exactly the same situation, with a different amount of breast tissue, and can show theirs without issue. I vote for breast-tissue equality! 






I'll be honest with you, I didn't find this particular challenge very easy but I am so glad I did it. It was freeing and it made me feel like truly embracing my female body. The comfort trap was challenged and I benefitted from it. I would love to hear your experiences about going braless! Let me know in the comments. 

So, back to the main point: no style-growth can occur through only sticking to the same pieces all the time, so experiment. The degree of discomfort soon fades away and you're left with a new look in your arsenal. It's so worth it. I hope these two examples resonated with you guys, let me know if they did. 

Stay fab and thank you for reading! 
Instagram @jumper.dweller 

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