Overcoming Fear

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Fear defeats more people than any other thing in the world.” Fear is all-pervasive. People invariably encounter fear in their day-to-day lives—often triggered by spontaneous accidents, fear of loss, etc. Fear is a negative emotion, a psychological barrier that prevents one from progressing in life. At the same time, this dreaded emotion is like a double-edged sword. Rational fear can save you from harm while irrational fear, which is mostly the creation of the mind, can create havoc in your life, if not conquered in time. Like all other emotions, fear is inherent in every mind. It differs in only the degree to which it is present. Even the bravest of man is not fearless; it is only that he manages to rise above his fear. Success depends on how one progress forward in spite of his/her fears. However, overcoming fear is easier said than done as it takes tremendous efforts to overcome the mind. You should remember that fear is not an anomaly, it is natural. Before you start working on overcoming your fear, strengthen your mind and then take the plunge. In this article, explore the many ways in which you can overcome your fears.

How To Overcome Fear

• Fear, rational or irrational, can create havoc in one’s life. So, it is important that one should be aware of his/her fears.
• Once you are aware that you are afraid of something, the next step is to control and overcome the fear, and for that, you need to know your ‘enemy’. To be specific about your fear, try to visualize the situation. In short, you should separate your fear from your thoughts so that you can see it clearly.
• Start investigating your fears. And the only thing you need for that is curiosity. Be curious to find out which thoughts give rise to fear. Notice your feelings and your response to it.
• Take a deep breath and feel your body. Put yourself into the present. This will help you to realize things as it is. And then it will become easier for you to accept the situation.
• Concentrate on your fear and ask yourself a few simple questions. Fear can easily be alleviated if you enter into a Q & A session with yourself. Ask ‘why’ and ‘what’ you are afraid of and answer it.
• Another good way to overcome fear is to try self-hypnosis. The trick here is to program positive thoughts into your mind, which will eliminate your negative thoughts. This won’t come to you easily, so, you must keep on practicing.
• Fear feeds on negative emotions. So, when fear strikes, do not think that something bad is going to happen. Instead, think of a positive outcome. Think of success rather than failure. This can be quite hard to do when fear strikes but bolster enough will-power and you can see its benefits.
• Most fears arise when we make a big deal out of nothing. So, it is better to put your thoughts and feelings into perspective. When you dwell too much on the negative side of things, then you will fail to know that there are other options. Only when you look at other options you will find that what you had thought impossible, giving rise to your fear, is in reality very much possible. When the mind realizes possibility, you will feel confident and your fear will automatically vanish. Therefore, look at any situation that raises fear in a correct perspective.
• A simple technique is to jot down your fear on paper. This will help you to keep the fear out of your mind. Putting it down on paper will help you to clear your thoughts and feelings. It will also help you to identify and segregate positive and negative thoughts. For one thing, this will save you from feeling miserable by constantly confronting your fear in your mind.
• Don’t confine your fear to yourself. Enlist the help of friends and family and discuss your fear with them. You will be surprised how effective talking can be. Don’t hold yourself back thinking how others might react. Once you start talking with others regarding your fears, you will see how soon you overcome it.
• Therapy can also be of enormous help. Find a good therapist and work with him/her to come out of your fear. Make sure that you find the right therapist, one who is willing to listen to you without pushing and in turn, you should also be willing to listen to him/her.
• Try to learn more about your fears. Read a good book on your specific fear and try to understand the psychological and emotional reasons behind the fear. You can also read inspirational books to keep your thoughts in a positive frame of mind.
• Just remember that fears are just the creation of the mind and the more you dwell on it, the scarier it will become. So, take action before the imagination comes into play. The imagination will make the fear seem worse than reality, so, turn and face your fear. Once you do that, you will realize that the fear is without any basis.
• When fear strikes, find ways to distract yourself. You shouldn’t allow fear to play with your mind. Watch a movie, read a book or do anything that keeps your thoughts occupied. When you learn not to allow the fear take root, you will be a step closer to putting a lid on it.
• Do not try to hide from reality and surrender to your fear, thinking that it will disappear in time. Observe what really is and give a rational answer to your fear. You should know that rationality is one of the most potent antidotes of fear.
• Learn not to depend absolutely on control. In life, though however experienced you may be, there is no predictability, so absolute control is a fallacy. On the other hand, lack of enough control can give rise to fear. Do not try to control anything absolutely, even your life, and you will be free of fear.
• Challenges bring forth a lot of fear. That doesn’t mean that you stay away from challenges. Overcome challenges and you will overcome your fear.

You won’t be able to dispel your fears instantly. To conquer your inner fear you will have to summon your inner will. As in other things, only when you give in effort you will be able to achieve success. The various suggestions given above will help you to eliminate your fear.