Fear has throughout time been prevalent in our lives. Many of us have out basic needs well taken care of, but that hasn’t diminished fear as much as changed what we are afraid of. Humans seem naturally to harbor some basic instinct to be afraid.
Fear is an unpleasant emotion. It causes us stress, anxiety and worry, all leading to health problems, emotional distress, financial difficulty and poor relationships.
Sabina Nawaz wrote a nice article about three steps mentally robust people take to help minimize their fear. I’m paraphrasing her comments:
1. They train themselves to resist fear. Repeating affirmations regularly can reduce fear. Our brain can develop new, healthier pathways that can shortcut the automatic emotional reaction or fearful response. They often will desensitize themselves to the fear by exposing themselves to small doses. For example, many people who experience a fear of public speaking will join Toastmasters to repeatedly speak publicly in a safe setting.
2. They will “reframe” fear to give it a more positive meaning. Many people have real dread about making mistakes, especially at work. They begin looking at even small mistakes as steps toward skill building and mastery. They notice when they make small mistakes and realize nothing negative resulted.
3. Finally, they are open to experimenting with more creative methods of building courage and minimizing fear. Courage needs to be reinforced regularly if it is to increase and eventually overwhelm the fears. Intentionally schedule things that scare you so you can prepare emotionally in advance, and have a strategy for minimizing the fear response. There are numerous unusual protocols that can bypass the emotions of fear, allowing us to unplug the distress at a deeper unconscious level.
Many people have eliminated life-long fears, but one thing is certain. You must be single-minded in your determination to overcome them, enlist support from others to encourage you along your journey, and have patience.
Frustration and Stress can be a distant memory. Live with confidence, optimism and peace of mind. Click HERE to learn how.
Recent Comments