Have you ever become so overwhelmed by fear that you failed to take action? Fear is something that so many people all over the world struggle with. Whether it’s at work, at home, in the bedroom, or even in your favorite hobby, fear is often what keeps us from acting in the ways that we know we should.
All types of fear stem from the same place: rejection, failure, criticism, humiliation. Fear grows within us as we continue to be afraid that other people in the world will recognize our imperfections and flaws and decide we are not worthy.
So, if you’re looking to tackle your fears head on, the very first part is recognizing that you can only do so if you start to embrace your fears for what they are.
Then, use these five steps that Elan Divon has come up with to immediately conquer any fears:
Breathe
Many people are unaware of how important breathing is to managing anxiety and fear. Quick, shallow breaths indicate a person who is anxious or fearful. When we start to mindfully control our breathing, we start to take control over our anxieties. You can try it right now--simply exhale for longer than you inhale and you’ll notice yourself start to relax.
For maximum effect, practice inhaling while counting to 7 in your head. Then, exhale while counting to 11. Repeat as often as you need to.
Visualize
Anxiety and fear are both things that like to build and build in our heads. If we’re nervous about a particular event that’s to come, simply thinking about that event will cause us even more anxiety and fear.
What to do? Keep imagining the event or situation, but do so while practicing the breathing technique from step one. This will create a calm, relaxed association with the event in your mind and will help keep negative thoughts at bay once the time has come.
Activate
When we find ourselves in anxious or fearful situations, our minds instantly start to race. They become irrational and clouded. The best fix for this is to channel our ‘rational thinking’ brain processes. When we do this, we instantly cut out the emotional side of things, making it easier to focus on what’s important.
Assign numbers to the different levels of anxiety and fear you have and recognize where you are on the scale whenever you feel yourself becoming anxious. Simply by focusing on these numbers, you will help calm your worrisome mind.
Exercise
If fear is something that inhibits our free-flowing selves, then exercise is a natural, physical way to get ourselves (and our energies) back up and running properly. When we exercise on a regular basis, our nerves become tired--too tired to worry about fear.
If you’re feeling anxious or fearful of something that lies in your future, make it a point to exercise a few hours before you have to do it. You’ll see a huge difference in how you act and think.
Use a power pose
One of the best ways to overcome fear is by acting as if you’ve already conquered it, and you can do this by taking up your favorite power pose. Amy Cuddy, Harvard Business School psychologist, tells us that even an act as simple as putting your hands in the air to cheer for victory will help us trick the body and mind into producing feelings of success.
Next time you’re about to do something out of your comfort zone, prepare yourself by celebrating your conquering of it.