10 Ways To Face your Fears!

Fears Are Mental Blocks That You Can Easily Overcome

Too timid to ask your crush for a date? Afraid of voicing your opinions at work? Your fears are holding you back from experiencing the fantastic life you deserve! Most fears are no more than illusions. Self limiting thought patterns that you have come to believe. So slaying your fears is as simple as mentally moving beyond them. Because if you face up to your fears they will fall away, leaving you free to follow your dreams.

Fear can be healthy

It might sound strange, but fear can be good for you! Think of your 'fight or flight' instinct. It's an evolutionary mechanism that helps you recognise and react to danger. In the same way, your sixth sense is a primal and protective instinct that alerts you to danger (as well as opportunities). So fear can keep you safe. A healthy fear of dangerous situations keeps you alive! But problems arise when your fears spiral out of control, paralysing you and leaving you unable to grasp opportunities.

Differentiate your fear

Healthy fear is rational fear, such as fear of life-threatening situations. Unhealthy fear is irrational fear, such as fear of public speaking or feeling inadequate in any way, or fear of social interaction. The way you begin to conquer your fears is to realise which are grounded in reality and which are irrational. You can do this by asking yourself: what's the worst that can happen? If the worst that can happen is embarrassment or awkwardness, then perhaps it's a risk worth taking for the potential rewards?

Go back to the beginning

It can be useful to reflect on the origins of a particular fear. For example, think when exactly was it you began to be frightened of taking an airplane? Or when were you first afraid of spiders? By consciously rediscovering the beginnings of a fear, you can spot reasons for it and once you know why you are afraid, you can tackle the cause.

Stop negative thinking

Many fears originate from unjustified self criticism, or from unjustified criticism from others. You allow those fears to become bigger and take root in your mind. But they are not based in truth! Wipe the slate clean by re-thinking your fears. Take control of your thoughts in stead of allowing your thoughts to control you. You can do it! All you have to do is try.

Have a positive focus

It's all too easy to live in a state of fear. There are plenty of scary things going on in the world: there always has been. While you can't control world events, you can control your personal world. So make it as positive as you can by switching your focus away from fearful news towards the good things you can create, share or offer.

Control your physical response

It's not all about mental control. Your physical responses influence your feelings and vice-versa. So if you feel a wave of fear washing over you, try to relax your body. It's not that difficult, honestly! Consciously relax your clenched muscles: start with your face, then neck, then shoulder muscles and work down your body. Breathe slowly and deeply. Smile - even if you don't feel like it. Smiling helps you relax. As your body relaxes, the fear dissipates.

Build self belief

Fear feeds on self doubt. So start believing in your skills and abilities. Discover what you are good at and build your confidence by practicing and honing your skills. Everyone has talents - and that means you! So use them.

Increase your knowledge

One way to defend against the fear of being inadequate is to increase your knowledge. So learn something new. Try a practical skill, like crafts or home improvements, or read a book or learn computer skills. Your confidence will increase as you learn new ideas.

Accept the highs and lows

Life is always changing: you have highs and you have lows. Accepting and learning from the lows is key to beating your fears. Failure is part of life. So don't fear it. Failure, rejection, embarrassment - nobody enjoys these things! But fear of them can stop you trying new ideas.

Feel the fear and do it anyway!

The best way to smash fears is to face them head on. By doing the things you fear, you take away the power of fear. Once you've made that public speech or been for the job interview, you'll wonder why you were so worried. You will become braver. But guess what? Even if it does all go wrong, you pick yourself up, modify your approach and try again. Because without fear to hold you back, there simply is no stopping you!