Ten ways to fight and overcome fear

By Ryan Light, Running/Anxiety Coach

Ten ways to fight and overcome fear – Every human being has had to deal with fear at one point or another in their life. Fear is certainly one of the most commonly felt emotion among people, and one that often holds them back from being all that they can. It is important to note that fear is a matter of perception, and is often worlds apart from reality. For instance, small children fear being left alone in the dark mostly because they believe that sinister creatures dwell in the dark. The truth of the matter is actually that darkness means the absence of light, yet however hard you try to convince these younglings, they will still believe that the dark harbors harm. So should you leave such a child alone in a dark room, they will get hysterical and can do nothing else than try to get out of the room.

Although that is a very simple example of how fear affects people, it is a perfect analogy of how much fear can hold us back from being the best that we can be. It is important to remember that often fear is an imposter; a magnified version of how bad things are or how bad they can be. In this article, I intend to give you some useful insights into fighting fear.

1. Take time out

When you have sudden fear attacks, it is important that you involve yourself in some physical activity that will keep the fear at bay. Walk around, take your dog for a walk, make yourself a cup of tea, or even take a shower. Do something that will require all your attention so that you have no attention left to pay to fear.

2. Breathe through panic

You might be minutes away from facing the panel that will interview you and shaking uncontrollably, but it is no use fighting against these signs of panic. Instead of focusing your energy on preventing your palms from sweating, or your heart from pumping so hard, just go with the flow and focus on the one thing that you can control: breathing. Take deep slow breaths with your hands placed on your stomach and slowly release them, and watch the panic subside. The intention is to help your mind learn how to cope with panicky situations in a calm and relaxed manner.

3. Face your fears

A primary rule of combating fear is to face it head-on. Running away from your fears is a definite no-no. If anything, fear left to fester in the dark multiplies at an alarming rate. For instance, if you are terribly afraid of speaking to crowds, but have an approaching class presentation to make, hoping that the class won’t take place does not help. In fact, your imagination will be fired to invent a million ways things could go wrong during your presentation, or how you will be caught if you opt to miss the class. The best way to deal with this situation is to ask someone to listen to you as you make the presentation in a big room, and say goodbye to that looming fear.

4. Imagine the worst possible scenario

Sometimes, naming your worst fears is the best way of fighting them. You will realize that the things that you fear are far from practical and you can actually end up laughing at yourself.

5. Look at the evidence

Because fear makes great use of the imagination tool in your mind, most of the things you fear are far from practical. For example, you might be afraid of heights because you are convinced that every time you climb high, you will certainly fall and die. Because of this conviction, you would rather endure very long journeys by train rather than board a plane because if you opt for the plane, then you are assured of dying before you reach your destination. To combat this fear, ask yourself how many times people fall off planes that are in perfect condition, and you will realize that your fear is actually laughable.

6. Don’t aim for perfection

Life is itself not perfect, and for you to aim at having a perfect life is an assurance of constant fear that things will go wrong. Take life as it comes and have faith that all things work for your good.

7. Visualize a happy place

While fear uses your imagination to cause you to worry, counter this by purposely imagining a place of serenity and security. This should soothe you to relaxation.

8. Talk about your fear

A problem shared is a problem half solved. This adage is also true about fear; talking about your fears minimizes the horror you might be feeling inside. If you have no one to talk to, there are helplines that can be of great help to you.

9. Go back to the basics

Doing the simple everyday jobs can be of great help in fighting fear. Those mundane, routine tasks keep the fear at bay while at the same time reassuring you that things are still normal.

10. Reward yourself

For every fear you conquer, give yourself a treat. This will help your brain recognize that great things come from overcoming fear.

Conclusion

If you constantly practice these fear- fighting tips, you should experience greater freedom from fear and be a better person. Remember, fear is usually a distorted illusion, and if only you decide to see it for what it really is, fighting it should be a lot easier.

Looking for an anxiety coach? Please reach out to contact me as I’ve helped dozens of people beat their anxiety and get back to living life.