A fear of fear?

Have you ever experienced the fear of fear?

Fear gets to the best of us at times.

And sometimes it is nothing more than a fear of being afraid itself.

All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and I feel like the state of the world right now is causing many of us to feel fear in an almost constant state.

What is going to happen with our health? Our lives? Our friends? Our children? All of this can be a real stumbling block that holds us back.

But I refuse to believe that fear can hold you back forever.

If I had let fear hold me back I would never have done many of the exciting things that I have throughout my life.

So I thought I might share some of the things that have helped me over the years to combat fear when it decides to rear it’s head:

1. SPOT THE TRIGGER

Figure out what it is in that moment that is triggering you. Learning to identify what this is will help you learn to move past it.

2. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY

Now this one may seem a bit weird if you are just starting out on this journey in your body. But it’s important to know that quite often fear takes over physically and can affect different people in a multitude of ways. I feel a restricted chest, sometimes I start shaking and feel dizzy, but it’s always accompanied with a tight feeling. So if you can Identify if/how it affects your physical body and do the work to take care of your body, you will be able to process it in real time.

3. GRATITUDE IS THE KEY

Everyday, list out 1-3 things you are thankful for. No matter how big or small they are, gratitude helps shift the mind, which overtime, overcomes fear. Gratitude before eating a meal is a great way of reminding yourself what there is to be grateful for.

4. LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

Take notice of your inner conversations. I live by the motto of “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. Give your inner mean person a name and speak to them when they show up. Make sure when it’s the mean person showing up you tell them where the door is!

5. CREATE A NEW ASSOCIATION

Remind yourself that the feeling and the moment will pass. Focus on the positive outcome of the situation, rather than the scary inbetween.

6. BREATHWORK

Breathing helps centre your body; when you stop breathing, your heart stops beating. If you can stop and take 5 deep, long breaths at any point to calm and centre yourself, it will help you feel improvement instantly.

7. CREATE YOUR OWN SANCTUM

When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear. So having a safe space 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 (my personal choice for a safe space) will allow you to face your fear.

These are just a few of the things that have helped me combat fear.

Ultimately the best thing we can do is face our fears so having these tools under my belt has helped me to overcome things I never imagined I would be able to move past.

Have you tried any of these before?

Do you have a go-to method you use when you are up against your fear?

Xo S