Exercise A

Exercise B
b)

a)

b)
PRACTICE 1
Exercise A
Exercise B
Exercise C
Exercise D
Exercise E

a) a) b)

c) c) a)
Exercise E

a) b) b)

a)
Exercise F
Exercise F

c) a)

b) c)
Exercise G
Exercise G
Exercise G
Exercise G
PRACTICE 2
Exercise A
Exercise A

b) b)

b) c)
Exercise B

Comfort zone: That really cozy place where stress and risk are minimized, that womb-like environment where worries don’t exist, that
marvelous zombie-like place where nothing bothers you… Who doesn’t want it? Well, you shouldn’t!

It turns out your comfort zone actually becomes your prison since it does not let you grow. It prevents you from stepping out of it because you
don’t want to experience the feelings associated with it: fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, stress, anxiety, etc. But shying away from those
feelings doesn’t decrease them over time. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know this, right? You know it and I know it, so what now?

Well, the idea is not to become your own bully! The idea is to design a plan to get out if it gracefully. It is not an easy task, but it’s worth it. Let’s
see why it is challenging. There is a part of your brain called the amygdala that is responsible for our emotions, emotional behavior, and
motivation, and the fight or flight response. When we face uncertainty (experiencing something new / learning something new), the amygdala
highjacks the body until a potential threat has been fully scanned. So far so good, eh? Well, it is not that simple.
There are two types of memories: implicit memory and explicit memory. Implicit memory has to do with emotional experiences. Remember
that elementary school teacher who told you your drawings were horrible? Guess where that is stored. Explicit memory, on the other hand,
deals with a conscious recollection of information. When the amygdala takes over, the access to sensible and conscious information is clouded.
It is like when you get angry and say something stupid that you consciously don’t mean. Or that one time when your crush talk to you and you
didn’t know what to say and just blushed. Freaking amygdala!
But don’t feel there’s nothing you can do. Actually, you can take baby steps and start feeling like taking more risks more often while building
more confidence in the process. Any learning process will cause some level of anxiety, but researchers have found that in order to maximize
your performance, it is necessary to experience a state of relative anxiety. Some researchers call it “optimal anxiety”, but it is the good old zone
of proximal development Vigotsky coined in the 20th century. In layman’s terms, it means to do something that is neither too easy nor too
complicated, something that is challenging and motivating enough. By doing so, you will be more productive and will have an easier time
dealing with new and unexpected changes.
Be bold but don’t be reckless! What about having lunch at a different restaurant? What about learning how to make pasta carbonara? Little by
little you will build momentum in order to aim at higher goals. Don’t wait any longer. Do it now!
Exercise B

b) b) a)

b)
Exercise C
Exercise D
Exercise D

b) c)

c) b)
Exercise E
Exercise E