11 guaranteed ways to Overcome your fears
Have you ever felt afraid of something? I have. You might be afraid of going to school, or speaking in front of a group, or even being given an assignment at work. Everyone has fears and they can play havoc on your energy level and self-confidence.
Well let me let you in on a little secret. Growing up, I used to have this fear of getting shots. Even if I was very very sick, I would prefer to swallow a medicine that to take an injection. I would cry and cry but last last, I’d still take the injection.
What Is Fear?
Fear is an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger, real or imagined. Fear is one of the most crippling emotions. It can hold you back from making new friends, getting out of your comfort zone and even succeeding in work and school. But there are ways to overcome it.
Fear is composed of two primary reactions to some type of perceived threat: biochemical and emotional.
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION
Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When we confront a perceived threat, our bodies respond in specific ways. Physical reactions to fear include sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that make us extremely alert.
This physical response is also known as the”‘fight or flight response”, with which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away. This biochemical reaction is an automatic response that is crucial to our survival.
EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
The emotional response to fear is highly personalized. This is because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do. Feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies. Some people are adrenaline seekers, thriving on extreme sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations. Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear and avoid fear-inducing situations at all costs.
F-E-A-R: has two meanings: Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything And Rise. The choice is yours.
Zig Ziglar
WHAT TRIGGERS FEAR
The universal trigger for fear is the threat of harm, real or imagined. This threat can be for our physical, emotional or psychological well-being. While there are certain things that trigger fear in most of us, we can learn to become afraid of nearly anything.
Common fear triggers:
- Darkness or loss of visibility of surroundings
- Specific situations e.g Heights and flying
- Social interaction and/or rejection
- Specific animals e.g Snakes, rodents, spiders and other animals
- Death and dying
- Future events
- Imagined events
- Real environmental dangers
- The unknown
HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR FEAR
Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person may experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Chills
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Upset stomach
When you are doing something and you notice these signs, you can conclude that you are afraid. In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death.
Ways To Overcome Your Fear
Understand that overcoming fear is a process and not an event. If you are feeling stuck, it can be hard to figure out the next step. The good news is that I have put together a list of ways to help you overcome your fears and get going on that project you’ve been putting off for so long. You won’t regret it!
1. Awareness: Before you can begin overcoming fear, you have to be aware that your fears are causing havoc in your life. It’s easy to get so attached to your thoughts and feelings that you think they are all that exist, which couldn’t be further from the truth. You are not your fears. You are the awareness that experiences it.
2. Identify: Get specific about what exactly you’re afraid of. Pay attention to the pictures you have in your head about the situation. What is happening in them? What are you really scared of? Become an observer of your inner space.
3. Curiosity: While curiosity may have killed the cat, it certainly won’t do you any harm when investigating your fears. Get curious about what thoughts generate your fear. Where do you feel the fear? How do you react to it? What color does it have? Be an observer of what is going on.
4. Gratitude: Whenever you feel fear, switch it over to what you are grateful for instead. If you’re afraid of public speaking, be grateful for the opportunity to communicate with so many people, and that they are there to genuinely listen to what you have to say. If you are outgrowing your friends, be grateful for what’s to come.
5. Write it down: Getting your fears down on paper is important, because trying to think them through doesn’t always work. You get caught up in endless loops of negativity that only lead you further down the rabbit hole, and make your life miserable.
6. Talk: How often do we hold the negative in because we are afraid of how others might react, or because of some other reason? Talking helps, but avoid drowning in self-pity, and choose the right person to talk to. If you have no one to talk to, try writing it down, or see a therapist.
7. Read: Reading a good book on your specific fear can open new doors on how you can get rid of it. I like to read a lot of motivational and inspirational work on and around the topic I’m dealing with. And if your life is falling apart, pay attention to what books come into your life. Notice which ones call out to you.
8. Take Action: I’m an action taker, and I know that fears are just fears. They are created by my imagination to make reality seem scarier than it is. When you take action and face your fears, they become weaker, because you realize that reality isn’t nearly as bad as your imagination. This allows you to find and follow your passion.
9. Positivity: Whenever fear strikes, flip it over. Instead of thinking of something bad that can happen, think of something positive What’s a positive outcome to your fear? If you’re thinking about public speaking, imagine yourself being successful instead of failing horribly.
10. Breathe: Your breath can set you free. It can anchor you in the now and help you vanquish and overcome your most pervasive fears. I saved it for last, because it’s one of the simplest and most powerful way to overcome fear.
11. Reward yourself: Finally, give yourself a treat. When you’ve made that call you’ve been dreading, for example, reinforce your success by treating yourself to a massage, a walk, a meal out etc.
