Human beings can fear anything—from failure, and rejection, to a tiny harmless insect minding its own business. Fear can often be a tool for survival, making people become more careful and cautious with their surroundings. However, fear can be debilitating. It can hinder growth and success, causing you to hit a plateau in your life that you cannot seem to get out of.
But there are ways to stop living in fear and use it to your own advantage instead. Don’t worry— fear is normal. It only becomes detrimental to your life once you let it take over. Once it overpowers you, you will start to avoid problems and not take risks. You will live in your own bubble of comfort and solitude, preventing wonderful opportunities from entering your life.
Why You Are Living in Fear
Studies show that fear leading to anxiety is part of the brain’s functions. People experience anxiety during stressful and unforeseen situations, which is but an inevitable part of life. However, when you experience chronic fear, or in medical terms, general anxiety disorder, everything is a source of fear and worry. It never seems to get better.
It’s time to transform your life and take ownership of your emotions. Often, all it takes is a simple nudge to push you towards greater heights without the fear of falling. Remember that you can get all the help you need from other people, but nothing compares to helping yourself get up on your own feet.
Know Your Fears—And Look Them in The Eye
Learning what your fears are and where they are coming from can be a challenging feat. This is especially the case for someone who struggles with the same fear every day and has been trying to get out of it for years. This seems to be the problem for other people, especially when they are trying to suppress the things they fear most because they are also scared of being ostracized and ridiculed.
Nonetheless, self-awareness goes a long way in overcoming your fears. No matter how irrational you think your fears maybe—they’re not. Are you frightened by the thought of a possible alien invasion? How about a zombie apocalypse? Does the thought of your partner leaving cripple you to the bones and break you?
These are thoughts locked in a box somewhere in your mind. You have to let them go and take control. You can do this by writing in a journal. List the greatest fears you have. Learn where they are coming from. Determine the triggers from your surroundings. Being aware is just the first step in overcoming fear.
Visualize Your Courageous Self
Imagine yourself doing all the things you’re scared of doing. You may also try to visualize yourself as someone who’s confident and courageous enough to fight those fears. After visualizing these, you’ll find yourself more eager and energized to overcome them. This is how you use fear to your advantage. Do not let fear paralyze you. Let fear be the catapult towards glory and success.
Aside from visualizing yourself as someone who’s courageous, you may also try portraying another role. Think of yourself as someone who can handle conflict peacefully. Try to conquer your fear peacefully, as if it was nothing. Do not think of it as something to be feared in your visualization. Perceive it as something you can wrap around your fingers without hesitation.
Stop Making Excuses
An excuse is a bubble people live in every day to avoid dealing with the real world. Having an unlimited supply of excuses in your pocket will urge you to set aside your hopes and dreams effortlessly. Excuses feed your fears. Pop that bubble now because you can never move forward if you keep seeking refuge in your long list of excuses.
Sure, excuses keep you comfortable and make you feel secure. But they prevent you from growing as a person. It’s time to save yourself from these excuses and start living without the fear of the future.
Try Deep Breathing
Anxiety causes people to take short, quick breaths. This kind of breathing can cause negative effects on the body, leading to panic or anxiety attacks. Overcoming your fear starts with breathing properly. This will signal to your body that everything is fine and you can handle the situation properly.
Deep breathing is quite easy, and you may have unconsciously done it before when you were trying to calm down. Once you encounter something you fear, try to focus on your breathing instead. Take a deep breath and make sure it’s deeper than usual. Then, exhale the fear away. The exhale should be longer than when you inhaled. This will cause a biological reaction that will calm your whole body down in a stressful situation.
Do Not Procrastinate
Thinking about your goals and dreams is fine, but delaying them for too long can be detrimental to your success. Sometimes, people are too scared to step out of their comfort zone that they shun progress. People tend to be afraid of change, and they throw their dreams out the window for the sake of comfort. Before you know it, years later, you’re still stuck in that comfort zone, refusing to leave.
Successful people have fears, too, but they act immediately upon them. They decided to take that fear and use it to succeed. Like these successful people, focus your energy on something you can do immediately without second thoughts. Have you always wanted to start a business with a fear of failing? Start it today. Otherwise, you will never be able to materialize this goal unless you start immediately.
Go For Nature Therapy
Getting rid of fear involves seeing the beauty of the world and savoring it. Try to go for a nature walk and observe the greens, flowers, and beautiful scenery that can help eliminate anxiety from your system. Go to nature parks, your backyard, forests, or anywhere accessible. You may also drive to a beach and listen to the waves.
Being with nature will help you think more clearly and rationally. You will notice a drastic change in your mood and disposition in life. Jogging is also a good idea to get the serotonin you need. Overcoming your fear starts with a healthy mindset, and you can get this from nature.
Humans Have Weaknesses
Remember that no one is perfect. People fail, experience loss, drown in loneliness, and encounter big problems. However, it’s possible to face your fears. Don’t view fear as a weakness. Rather, let it be an instrument toward success. Don’t beat yourself up for being scared of something. It’s all part of the greater scheme of things you call life.