Fear is an emotion that we all experience at some point in our lives. It can lead to paralysis, procrastination, or the inability to take action. Despite it doesn’t have to be a barrier as Fear is a natural human emotion that can be both positive and negative. When the stakes are high, fear can motivate people to achieve great things. Nevertheless, when there isn’t a clear goal or end in sight, it becomes paralyzing and starts manifesting as anxiety. Fear is a part of life. It’s normal to be afraid, especially when you’re venturing into uncharted territory. Being aware of your fears allows you to prepare for overcoming them.
Fear is one of the most powerful human emotions. It is deeply entrenched in our hardwiring. We are hardwired to react to danger by fighting, fleeing, or freezing. We have to take in mind that fear is what kept us safe when we were living in caves, though fear can also be crippling and paralyzing. It can hold us back from pursuing what we really want and achieving our goals. Fear keeps people stuck in jobs or relationships they don’t like, doing work that doesn’t fulfill them, and not reaching their full potential.
So why do we continue to give so much power to fear?
Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success, or even fear of fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that holds us back from being truly successful. You might think that fear is a negative feeling. But it’s not. Fear can be positive and useful, whereas it can also be debilitating. Your fears will never completely go away. They’ll change as you grow up, and they’ll become less intense [and often more logical], but they’ll always be a part of you.
Fear can’t hold you back forever if you don’t let it. But How do you overcome Fear? There are several ways to overcome fear and feel empowered by life’s challenges, here are nine ways you can combat fear in your own life and as a business owner.
1. Ask Yourself Why You’re Afraid
You’ll often hear people say that the best way to solve a problem is to ask yourself, “Why am I afraid of this? What frightens me? Is it public speaking? Or Is it a certain type of person? Maybe it is a failure, or Is it my fear of success?” In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways to get over your fears. The purpose of asking these questions is not just to find an answer, but to allow yourself to build up the courage and confidence you need in order to move forward with your life.
You can’t move forward until you’re willing to face your fears. If you’re scared, ask why. What’s the worst that could happen if you take a risk and fail? Usually, the outcome isn’t nearly as bad as we imagine it to be.
2. Identify The Trigger
Fear is a complicated emotion. It’s triggered by many different things, and our reactions to it are often difficult to understand. and everyone feels it differently. This makes fear a difficult emotion to understand, let alone manage.
Ask yourself: What is the worst thing that could happen?
A fear of public speaking might be triggered by the thought of being judged by an audience. Fear of failure might be triggered by the thought of being embarrassed in front of your friends and family. And the fear of losing might be triggered by the thought of losing your job or relationship.
In order to conquer your fears, you need to first understand what triggers them. Once you’re able to pinpoint the situations that trigger your fears, you’ll increase your ability to identify them which will help you learn to combat them. So, figure out what it is in a situation that triggers you.
3. Separate Reality From Perception
In the past, I was afraid to create and publish my articles. Why? Because I feared negative feedback.
But one day, I learned a powerful lesson about fear. So, I thought about how we’re all in the separation of time and space. Time is a great teacher. It allows us to look at our past perceptions through the lens of our present experiences. In other words, we can separate reality from perception by looking at our current state of awareness from a higher perspective.
Fear is one of the main reasons why people don’t achieve their potential. It stops them from taking action. It’s the main reason people fail to start their own business or quit a job they are unhappy in. It’s the reason why most people never write a book, build an online course, or quit their job and travel the world.
But fear serves no purpose. It is not real, it is nothing but perception. The average person has a lot more power than they think. And often that power is underestimated. Once you realize your power you will overcome that fear once and for all.
Imagine, you’re running a marathon. You’ve been training hard and you’re in great shape, but when the starter pistol fires, your body freezes up and you have to be carried off the track.
You would look at that as a failure of the body: the physical manifestation of fear. But is it? The problem was with your mind. Your perception of the event caused your fear, which was then manifested in your body.
This is what happens every time we think about something scary or uncomfortable. As we start to think about it, our heart rate goes up,
Now ask yourself what is really going on, locate the facts and place them over your feelings.
4. Know Where Fear Lives In Your Body
It is a scientific fact that your body sends signals to your mind when you are afraid. For example, if you are walking alone on a dark and deserted street, your body will automatically send the signal of fear to your mind.
But thanks to that same scientific fact, you can also use your body to send positive signals of confidence and happiness to your mind to overcome fear and perform better in life.
For example: Do you feel nervous before an exam? A simple exercise can change your emotions: Put both hands over your heart area. Tighten your muscles and smile for two minutes. Feel the difference.
A lot of times, fear takes over physically. It affects different people in different ways. How do you know where fear lives in your body? You have to pay attention to your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. By staying present, you’ll be able to identify the type of fear that’s holding you back because it will affect your body differently. Identify if/how it affects your physical body and do the work to take care of your body.
Ex: if you hold stress in your back, you can learn stretches, foam rolling, etc. to avoid the pain.
5. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Gratitude is one of the best ways to overcome fear. Gratitude is not only the key to success but also a way to boost your happiness and well-being, says Kelly McGonigal, author, and psychologist at Stanford University.
McGonigal demonstrates that when you learn how to practice gratitude on a regular basis, you can increase your resilience in difficult times and strengthen your motivation to achieve your goals, as well as develop coping strategies for stress. To be optimistic is to be grateful for what you have, rather than what you don’t have.
Gratitude is a powerful emotion and can boost performance in many ways, from increasing productivity to reducing stress. When we focus on what we have, instead of what we don’t have, it changes our attitude towards life and how we see the world. It helps us stop worrying about insignificant things and move on with our lives.
Contrary to popular belief, practicing gratitude does not make you complacent. It actually makes you more excited about life as you realize that your problems aren’t that big after all.
Gratitude can turn a fearful mindset into an adventurous one. Gratitude is the most powerful emotional tool to help you live your life with more joy and less fear.
You must practice gratitude consistently, especially when you’re scared or anxious about something. Here are three methods for practicing gratitude daily and overcoming fear:
- Active Gratitude
- Gratitude Journaling
- Gratitude Meditation (or Gratitude Affirmations)
Every day, list out 1-3 things you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, gratitude helps shift the mind into a positive light, which over time, overcomes fear.
6. Listen To Your Inner Voice
Fear of failure is a huge obstacle to success. If you are afraid of failure, you won’t put yourself out there or take risks. You’ll play it safe, and miss opportunities that could have transformed your life. Fear, rejection, and disappointment are everywhere. In business, in relationships, in life. The key is to keep trying and to listen to what your inner voice is telling you.
To overcome fear, you must quiet the inner critic and listen to your inner voice. Your inner voice is one that can guide you to true success and happiness if you listen to it and follow its lead. This can be difficult because fear can mask its true intentions. You always have a choice: follow your heart or listen to your fears and doubts. Each path has its own set of obstacles, and each path has its own rewards.
Monitor your inner conversations. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself. Speak positively to yourself and remind yourself of your strengths.
7. MAKE A PANIC PLAN AND PRACTICE iT OUT LOUD
The key to overcoming fear is preparation. The more prepared you are, the less scary your situation will feel.
All of us experience some sort of irrational fear at some point in our lives. Whether it’s a fear of public speaking, heights, or the unknown, we all have something that freaks us out. The most important thing to remember when trying to overcome irrational fears is to remain calm and tell yourself you’ll be OK.
8. Create A New Association
A lot of people are trying to take steps to overcome their fears. They’re reading books and following blog posts for advice on how to do it, but they’re missing the most important part: the fear has to be replaced by something else.
The mind is always looking for a way to be distracted from pain, so when you try to overcome your fears, you have to remember that your brain will try everything in its power to make sure you don’t. That means surrounding yourself with people who share your intention to overcome fear or finding an activity or project where you feel compassion
Remind yourself that the feeling and the moment will pass. Focus on the positive outcome of the situation, rather than the scary in between. Make a panic plan and practice it aloud whenever you feel like you are about to do something risky or scary. The more you practice, the better you’ll feel.
9. Look At The Glass Half Full
If you’re feeling fearful about something, perhaps it’s time to change your perspective.
You can be the victim of fear or you can choose to see things differently. Fear is a natural and legitimate emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. It’s part of what helps keep us safe and alive. But it’s not always helpful or productive in the long run when we let fear control our lives. If you’re feeling fearful about something, perhaps it’s time to change your perspective.
It’s really easy to focus on how bad things are, but sometimes it’s more powerful to look at how good they are.
Perception is a very powerful thing, and how you feel about your situation dictates how you respond. So think positively and you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success. This won’t happen overnight; practice with just one thought. What is one recurring negative/fearful thought you have? Work on reversing this one thought. Over time, this will become a habit.
If you can look at life’s challenges, obstacles, and problems as opportunities instead of threats, then you will undoubtedly live happier and more fulfilled.
What if I told you that the key to changing your life lies in one simple, yet powerful question? Would you like to know what it is? The answer is all around us. It’s a question that we all have faced at some point in our lives… Why not me?”
10. Practice Breathing Exercises
Fear is a natural emotion that helps keep you safe from harm. However, if you’re feeling fearful on a regular basis, it is negatively impacting your life.
Fear is like a severe case of an adrenaline rush – it makes your heart beat faster, your mind race and your body feel tense and anxious. It’s the kind of feeling you get when you are in danger or just about to do something risky. But you can overcome fear by practicing breathing exercises to overcome fear because breathing helps center your body. When you slow your breathing rhythm, your heart slows down the beating rhythm, which decreases the adrenaline rush. You can do a grounding exercise, or even just take 5 deep, long breaths at any point to calm and center yourself. It is best to start your day with this, but feel free to practice all day long.
Breathing Exercise:
- Sit in a comfortable position and in a silent and safe place
- Close your eyes with your spine tall and relax your shoulders
- Relax your face and soften it.
- Put one hand to your lower belly.
- Inhale a long, slow abdominal breath through your nose.
- Hold your breath for 2 seconds
- Exhale slowly through your nose.
- Breathe in through the nose a bit longer than before.
- Hold your breath for 2 seconds.
- Breathe out slowly through the nose a bit longer than before.
- Repeat as many times as you want till you feel calmed and centered by lengthening your inhale and exhale a little bit more every time.
11. Create A Safe Space
A safe space is an important step to getting over the fear of the unknown. When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear. Find somewhere safe you can retreat to when ill feelings begin- whether this is a real place such as your bedroom, or a place in your mind such as the beach. This sense of comfort will soothe you and allow you to face your fear.
12. Find A Fear Buddy To Help You Overcome Your Fears
Creating a safe space can be about creating social bonds with like-minded individuals. You need to surround yourself with people who have the same goals and aspirations as you, otherwise, they won’t understand why you choose to give up time with friends and family every weekend for your passion project. If you don’t feel like there’s anyone around to help you, then you’ll get stuck in your fear. As humans, we are programmed to fear things we perceive as dangerous. This is good in some cases because it keeps us alive,
Feel free to join our loving supportive community that can help you overcome your fears and challenges.
13. Face Your Fears And Don’t Turn Back
Many people are afraid of their fears. Don’t be. To overcome your fears, you need to face them. When you have a fear, pay attention to it. Think about it for a few minutes. Write it down and ask yourself what the worst thing that could happen is if you were to actually do the thing that you fear.
If you can think of something terrible happening, then visualize yourself doing that thing and experiencing the fear. Ask yourself these questions, “What if you could face your fears and never turn back? What would that look like for your life? What would you be doing? Who would you be?”. Then Visualize yourself in the opposite position and this situation is no longer there. This visualization reinforces your knowledge that nothing bad will happen.
Conclusion:
I hope that you have enjoyed this article and it has helped you to overcome your fears.
The next step is to join our Regain Your Energy By Breathing Course where you will learn more about breathing techniques and how they can be used to help you overcome your fears. You can also get support from other people who are facing the same issues as you.
With this ultimate guide, you can find the techniques to overcome fear and live a full life. Not only is it important to take care of your health but also to let go of fear. You can join our community today by following us on Facebook! Please keep in mind, that these are just some strategies, not everything works for everyone. But this is a place to start. Start implementing these techniques into your life and don’t let fear hold you back from reaching your goals and your highest potential this year!
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