15 Tips For Overcoming Your Fear — Simple Anxiety Solutions |
Posted: January 27, 2020 |
I admit it: I'm a bit scared. I am worried that you will not have the patience to read this article all the way through. Why should I even bother delving deep into the subject if you stop reading it halfway through or find it stupid?
Luckily, I have learned not to always give in to my fears, worries, and concerns. I just do not want to be governed by them. And I don’t want you to be consumed by them, either.
Why Is It Important to Act in Spite of One’s Fears?Because it is important to be able to overcome one’s fears. Because our fears prevent us from having the life we ??really deserve. It is our fears that stand in the way of our happiness. They are the ones that keep us from achieving our goals. Not having any fears would let us live a happier and more fulfilling life. So, what fears am I talking about here? Here are some of the most widespread ones:
And these are just "normal" fears. There are also serious anxiety disorders that many people suffer from, such as:
In fact, between 15% and 25% of people suffer from a phobia at some point in their lives. And that seriously affects the quality of their life. Sometimes, our fears become so intense that we refer to them as panic attacks. That's why I feel it is necessary to shed some light on the subject. The information I’m going to be sharing with you will let you overcome your fears and make your life better.
How Do We Cope With Our Fears?If we are smart about it, we can significantly minimize the damage done by our fears. What I’m going to be providing you with here are some useful tips and tricks that can help you do just that. So, let's check them out! Tip#1: Try to Come Up With Ways of Handling Your FearWithstand your anxiety. Yes, you read it right. Do not avoid it — just withstand it.
Yes, I know — the mere thought of it is sending shivers down your spine and making your hands sweaty. You probably have some other anxiety symptoms as well.
But that's OK.
Fear is something all humans suffer from. Trembling, faster breathing, eyes wide open, jaws clenched tight — it is all perfectly normal and shouldn’t be ashamed of.
Because we are all afraid of something. Even those of us who do not talk about it. Even that student thinking, "where can I find someone to write my essay for me cheap?" may suffer from anxiety and worry about everything.
What we don’t know is that we are all stronger than we think. You can withstand anxiety too. Yes, you can. You are strong enough to do just that — if you dare to, of course. And you should endure it, too. What I mean by that is you should consciously expose yourself to anxiety.
You’re probably thinking now, "Is it possible? Why should I deliberately put myself in situations I'm afraid of?" The answer is simple — that's the only way you can get rid of your anxiety.
We get rid of our anxiety when we face a situation we are afraid of. If it happens frequently, our body will notice it and say to itself: "Hey, it's not that bad. That was only in my head. I can handle that." Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a kind of treatment that helps people successfully overcome severe anxiety disorders. My point is that individuals who go to it know what they are doing. And exposing yourself to fear is an essential part of this therapeutic approach.
You may not even need a therapist to get rid of anxiety. You can do that on your own or with the help of a friend, especially if you do it in small steps. Once you learn to control your fears, you will no longer have to endure them. And that means that you’ll be free from them.
Conclusion: When I learn to endure my fear, nothing can stop me from being free.
Tip# 2: Figure Out What Fear Means to YouFear is bad, and it should be avoided. To be timid means to be weak. That's what many people think about a feeling of anxiety. But what we think about things is not set in stone.
Have you ever changed your mind? You did it because the circumstances changed. Or because you gained a new insight. Or because you simply grew wiser. We, humans, tend to perceive different things differently. And the way we perceive them significantly determines the quality of our lives. Let’s take a look at the following example. Which of these two individuals has a more fulfilling life?
Science gives us a clear answer to this question. According to various studies, disciplined people are much more content with their lives than undisciplined ones.
However, that is not the point. It is all about being able to give a different meaning to the same thing. And you can choose what meaning you will give to things. Here’s a set of words that pop into my mind when I hear the word “fear”: "Dodge, get away, avoid, unpleasant, weakness, loser, weakling." Or I can look at it from a different perspective: "It’s a perfectly normal feeling that all humans have. I just need to learn to overcome it to get ahead in life." What attitude do you think will help me lead a more fulfilling life? Conclusion: Your life becomes much easier if you regard fear as something positive.
Tip# 3: Use Fear to Grow Professionally and PersonallyHave you ever thought about why we are all here? Some people think that it is about learning and growing as a person. I do not know if that's true. But the goal of growing as a human is certainly a noble one. To grow. Mmm ... But what exactly does it mean? It's about doing things better, learning to handle difficult situations on a professional or personal level. But where do we start? One possible answer to this question is our fears. Paradoxically, they contain the most promising growth opportunities. Here are some of the most typical fears an average person has:
If you have one of them, you should probably ask yourself: "What would I have to learn or be able to do to feel more secure and leave my fear behind? Or how would I have to change my attitude so this fear would not be a problem for me anymore?"
Our fears often provide us with a clue as to which direction we should follow to become more mature, capable, and contented. Our fears are like a challenge that life presents us with. And we can accept this challenge to become a better and happier person.
Conclusion: Fear often helps us bring out the best in ourselves. Tip# 4: Treat Fear as a Dictator That Rules Your LifeA dictator is someone who forces their will on others. Someone who dictates them where to go, what to do, and what not to do. So, if we do not restrain our fears, we’ll be bound to live with them until the end of our lives.
Because fear determines what we must and mustn’t do, we end up living a boring life and doing things we don’t like. It prevents us from making our lives more prosperous and fulfilling. Just look at how it can get in the way of your success — "Although I really want to...:
Unbridled feelings of anxiety are often like a cage, a prison, or chains with which we have tied ourselves up.
Anxiety is like a dictator. And the dictator suppresses your freedom and vitality, stopping you from enjoying your life. Maybe it's time for a little revolution? Or at least a small act of civil disobedience?
Conclusion: Our fear is like a dictator because it keeps us from doing things we could benefit from.
Tip#e 5: Be Honest With YourselfIf we want to change something in our lives, we should be honest with ourselves. And the same applies to fear, too.
We often make excuses for not doing something:
Instead, you should be honest with yourself and say: "I'd like to, but I'm just terribly afraid right now." When we spell it out, we become free and can deal with our fears far more effectively.
Conclusion: Just say to yourself: "I don't do this or that because I'm afraid."
Tip# 6: Get Help From Your FriendIt’s much easier to cope with your fear if you have a good friend by your side.
Remember — a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. And if someone is holding your hand, you won’t be shaking with fear anymore.
But that only works if you admit to being afraid. Because a real friend will not laugh at you and be always ready to help you out. Conclusion: With someone holding your hand, your fears get reduced by half.
Tip# 7: Perceive Fear as a Feeling
"There is no reason to be afraid."
Thanks for this wonderful piece of advice. As if pointing out the inappropriateness of my fear would just make it disappear once and for all. Anxiety feelings are deeply instinctive and irrational. And fear is one of our strongest emotions. If we are truly afraid, no such well-intentioned piece of advice will help us. No argument, facts, or knowledge can do that, either.
Fear is a feeling. And feelings tend to disappear with time. You can make it happen faster by talking to other people, doing sports, or simply hugging. It does not help to scold yourself because your anxiety cannot be reasoned with. Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid. It’s all in your mind — the mind knows that, but your feeling doesn’t. That's your mind that isn’t much use here.
Make your mind understand it. Talk to your feelings. Just say to yourself, "Hello, my scary feeling. I can feel you. You can stay as long as you want to. Perhaps, I can put you to good use someday."
Conclusion: Fear is a feeling that can rarely be dealt with good arguments.
Tip# 8: Pay Attention to Symptoms of FearIf we really dread something, we get cold hands and cold feet. That's because our blood retreats to our upper limbs, i.e., where it is most needed for fighting or fleeing.
We get palpitations. Our muscles, especially those in our neck and the jaws, tighten up. Our mouth becomes dry. Our muscles start shaking. Our stomach feels ‘deflated.’
We can not think straight anymore. We just want to leave wherever we are to stop this situation from happening.
Some people become angry or really aggressive. That’s what anxiety does to our body and mind.
If you feel like that and don't know what's going on, just ask yourself, "Am I scared? And if so, what am I scared of?"
Conclusion: Fear has many symptoms, and it's good to understand them, so you know when you’re terrified.
Tip# 9: Don't Make Any Decisions When You’re AfraidDid you know that stress and fear affect our reasoning and decision-making skills?
When we’re stressed out, we are unable to think straight. We begin to have the so-called tunnel vision. We can no longer tell nonsense from sense.
Anxiety consumes not only our soul but also our mind. That's why you should never make any important decisions when you’re scared or stressed out. Putting it bluntly, fear turns us into idiots.
However, stress also makes us more alert and efficient. The important thing is that you don’t abuse it.
Conclusion: Fear and stress reduce our thinking ability and make us unreasonable.
Tip# 10: We’re All Afraid of SomethingSome people may look fearless to us. We may think that they are never afraid. But that's just an illusion. Just because people do not show their fear does not mean they are not afraid. Everyone is afraid of something. Everyone. Even tough guys are afraid of certain things, such as spiders or dark rooms.
Fear can manifest itself in many different ways. Sometimes, being afraid of snakes can be easier than dealing with crowds of people.
We all have our own fears, and the realization that we all share the same feeling brings us together.
Conclusion: Each of us — even tough guys or super women — are afraid of something. Even if we don't show that.
Tip# 11: Small Steps Lead Out of FearSome fears don't pose a big problem for us. If an anxiety trigger occurs only once a year, we can handle it pretty well. Or, if we can consciously avoid a stressful situation, we'll do it.
For example, if I'm afraid of taking a roller coaster ride, I won’t do it. Problem solved.
But there are fears that limit our quality of life. Being afraid of criticism or getting an infection — we can hardly avoid these things. And every time we experience something like this, our quality of life deteriorates.
You might come up with some idea and say to yourself: “This will not work. I should forget about it.” But what should we do about our fear? What's the best way to deal with it? I recommend using the strategy of small steps.
Conclusion: The easiest way to deal with fear and stress is by using the strategy of small steps.
Tip# 12: Release Your Fear in 5 StepsTry to let go of your fears. Just release them. How does it work?
These are some possible ways of letting go of your fear:
And? Has your fear diminished? If not, you should have another try. It usually takes several of them.
Conclusion: Fear can be disposed of in 5 simple steps: endure the feeling, locate fear, let go of it, say “thank you,” let go of it completely.
Tip# 13: You Can Reduce Your FearWhat can you do to reduce your fear? In fact, you can do a lot:
Conclusion: There are many ways to reduce fears. The more you practice them, the more fearless you become.
Tip# 14: Have an Emergency PlanFear can catch us totally by surprise. Therefore, we should prepare ourselves for it. What you need is an emergency plan. So, plan what exactly you’ll do when you experience fear. The better we are prepared, the more effectively we can deal with difficult situations.
Such an emergency plan is, of course, something very individual. Let’s have a look at what it may be like:
Of course, such an emergency plan won’t make your fear go away. However, it will help you deal with it far more efficiently. Conclusion: Having an emergency plan will help you cope with your fear more effectively.
Tip# 15: Don’t Let Fear Turn You Into a VictimYou are an adult, and you know that some people may take advantage of your weaknesses. These people always choose the weakest. And how do you recognize the weakest?
You can recognize them by their insecurity and fear. Our fear makes us fall prey to all kinds of bullies and scam artists. That's why you must learn to deal with your fear. If you do, you’ll be able to defend yourself despite being afraid.
When bad guys look at you, they will say to themselves: "Oh, that's not a victim. I’d better find someone else to pick on." Conclusion: If I can not control my fear, it turns me into a victim.
What Do I Do Now?I do hope that the tips and tricks I shared with you here will let you cope with your fear more effectively. However, you should keep in mind that you won’t solve the problem simply by reading some articles. Without practice, all of this will be just a waste of time.
Make sure you can:
And remember — it takes courage to overcome one’s fear.
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