How to Get Over the Fear of Trying Something New

Think back to a time where you had to try something new.

It could have been going to a new school as a kid, moving to a new city, starting a new job for the first time or even try a new hobby like skiing or paddle boarding.

How’d you feel?

If you’re like most people then you may have felt nervous, anxious, even excitement. It’s totally natural to feel all those feelings when trying out a new experience. Often times the fear of the unknown is the scariest thing.

Yet, if you can overcome those fears and try out those new experiences, you are so much better for it. It’s good for your brain and your body to mix it up and try new things. It helps keep our mind fresh and the little challenges we face when we try new activities is good for our muscles too.

So, what’s the best way to get over the fear of trying something new?

• First, you want to adopt the right mindset. Sometimes we go into a new skill or experience wanting to master it and forget that part of the value of trying something new comes from the learning experience itself.

  Have fun with it! You may be nervous to try that Remix Dance class because you’re “not a dancer” or you’re afraid that you’ll mess it. If you go into it knowing that while you may not be a “master,” the first go around, but instead just let go and have fun with it, it’ll be easier to get over that mental block and give it a try.

• Second, be aware of the spotlight effect. If you’re like a lot of people, you may be worried about what other people may think of you when you’re trying out a new experience. “What if I do something wrong to stand out?” “Will they all notice that I’m completely terrible at this?”

  The spotlight effect phenomenon is when people tend to think that other people notice something about you more than they do. In reality, everyone is so focused on their own behavior and what they are doing, especially during a workout, that they aren’t giving your moves any attention.

• Third, acknowledge that it may take a few tries before you truly start to enjoy a new activity or experience. Think about how often you may have said the words, “I wasn’t into _______ before, but now I love it!”

  The first time you try something, you’re still getting your footing and figuring everything out you may not have had time to enjoy the experience. We can’t tell you how many people were not fans of spin. Once they took a couple or few times, they were hooked!

We are excited to kick off our Summer Mix Challenge with the Trying New Adventures Theme because we are all about mixing things up. Each week of the challenge we will focus on a different theme and you’ll have a chance to earn different badges for your Team Colors. At the end of each week, you’ll enter your points in for your team and we’ll add up the points to see who is in the lead.

For the Adventurer Badge, here a few different examples of ways you can step out of that comfort zone…

• Try a new class, class time or instructor

• Try something new when it comes to your nutrition. Your tastes change as you get older, so it’s a great time to retry a food that you may not have liked before. My Chef Catering has lots of great options and will deliver right to your door or you can pick up each week at Remix on Sundays if you order on Wednesdays.

• Try a new skill!

• Introduce yourself to someone new!

By the way, one more way to get over the fear of trying something new is to bring something familiar along like a friend. Take advantage of the last week of our Bring a Friend Deal. Whenever you bring a friend, you earn a free class. If you’re already a member, you can get an extra day added onto your membership.