Face Your Fears, Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone Tips

Skip navigation!

The Refinery29 YouTube series "Try Living with Lucie" has, for me, been an epic adventure filled with luxurious spa treatments, delicious food, intriguing activities, and unforgettable world travel. I'd been wanting to try five days of facing my fears for months, but the thought made me so physically uncomfortable that I kept pushing it off. (As the producer of this series, I have the ability to choose the episode topics. So why would I intentionally put myself in a distressing situation?) A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Michelle Poler on YouTube. She bravely quit her job to face 100 fears in 100 days, documenting each new experience along the way. Michelle inspired me.
She screamed and squirmed as she held a snake, posed nude for an art class, attempted stand-up comedy, and jumped from an airplane. With Michelle's help this week, I finally did it. I faced five of my biggest fears and made it out alive. Check out the video to watch me eat crickets, read negative Internet comments about myself aloud, hold a tarantula, and more.

More from Mind

Mindless Mouth Biting Could Be More Serious Than You Think

There are many theories about my life that I believe to be true. One of my longest held beliefs is that if I had bought stocks in Bonjela 10 years ago, I w

by Alicia Lansom

There’s No Such Thing As The Perfect Morning Routine

I’ve always been obsessed with routine, particularly a morning routine. Ever since I was old enough to take the reins on my mornings I’ve been drawn to

by Sadhbh O'Sullivan

Is Scheduled ‘Worry Time’ What’s Missing From Your Self-Care Rout...

There’s a lot to be concerned about in the world today — to put it mildly. Between working, the pandemic, personal lives, and the looming climate crisi

I’m An Adult, So Why Am I Still The Family Peacemaker?

Last week, after a particularly anxious day spent working from home, I mustered up the strength to walk to my local park and read. I had just reached the e

Being Embarrassed Is Good, Actually

The other day, I bought a cheap bouquet of bright pink sunflowers — I spotted them while en route to a birthday party, and they were too irresistible to

When It Comes To Mental Health, Does Bella Hadid’s Privilege Matter?

Over the last decade, the fight to rid the stigma around mental health struggles has seen massive strides. Therapy is more widely used than ever, diagnoses

8 Things You Can Do If You’ve Had The Worst Day

by Kimberly Truong

Instagram Fasting: The Low-Stress Way To Stop Social Media Making...

“Feeling refreshed after a week off Instagram!” reads the caption underneath a gallery of sunny holiday snaps taken on a recent internet-free v

by Elizabeth Bennett

These Intimate Portraits Show The Reality Of Living With OCD

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a largely invisible mental illness. To those who have never experienced it in themselves or loved ones, it may seem

by Sadhbh O'Sullivan

Why Are Millennials And Gen Z The Loneliest Generations?

The need to connect with others is an innate, evolutionary drive. So when the world was sent into a series of lockdowns due to the pandemic, a whole new&nb

My Stoma Saved My Life – But Really Damaged My Mental Health

Roughly 70,000 people in Canada and the U.S. have a stoma. Deriving from the ancient Greek word for ‘opening’, it is the result of either a col

by Sadhbh O'Sullivan

When Does Venting Stop Being Healthy?

I’d like to think I’m a veteran venter. In fact, games of ‘venting tennis’ are particularly frequent in some of my group chats. The communal rage i

by Sukriti Wahi