fear of success

Eleven Ways To Overcome Your Fear

Mindset24th NovemberBy Jason Daly

Eleven Ways To Overcome Your Fear

Are you afraid of public speaking? Do you get anxious when meeting new people? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you’re not alone. Fear is a natural emotion that we all experience at one point or another.

But just because fear is natural, doesn’t mean we have to let it control us. There are plenty of things we can do to overcome our fears and live a life full of confidence.

In this blog post, we’ll share 11 tips on how to overcome your fear. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to manage your fears and, hopefully, be on your way to conquering them!

Know Your Fears

We all have fears. Some of us are afraid of the dark, some of us are afraid of heights, and some of us are afraid of public speaking. But what are we really afraid of?

The answer is simple: we’re afraid of the unknown. When we don’t know what’s going to happen, our brain automatically goes into survival mode and starts to worry.

So how can we overcome our fears?

The first step is to understand them. What is it that you’re really afraid of? Is it the dark itself, or is it the thought of what might be lurking in the dark? Once you’ve identified your fear, you can start to work on overcoming it.

Start by facing your fear head on. If you’re afraid of the dark, go into a dark room and sit for a while. Don’t turn on the lights, don’t look at your phone, just sit in the darkness and breathe. Notice how your body reacts. Do you start to feel anxious? Do your heart rate and breathing increase? Just sit with it and observe. The more you do this, the less afraid you’ll become of the dark.

If you’re afraid of heights, start by going to a high place and just looking out over the edge. Don’t go too close, just stand back and take in the view. Again, notice how your body reacts. Do you start to feel dizzy? Do your palms start to sweat? Just observe and breathe. The more you do this, the less afraid you’ll become of heights.

The key is to slowly desensitize yourself to your fear. Don’t try to force it, just take small steps and let your mind and body adjust at their own pace. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can overcome your fears when you take the time to understand them.

Change Your Mindset

Are you someone who is always looking for the negative in every situation? Do you find yourself dwelling on your mistakes and feeling like you’ll never be good enough? If so, it’s time for a change.

It’s time to change your mindset.

Your mindset is your attitude and outlook on life. It’s the way you think about yourself, your abilities, and your circumstances. And it can have a major impact on your success or failure in life. If you have a negative mindset, you’ll always see the glass as half empty. You’ll focus on your shortcomings and believe that you’re not good enough. You’ll be pessimistic and expect the worst.

But if you have a positive mindset, you’ll see the glass as half full. You’ll focus on your strengths and believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. You’ll be optimistic and expect the best.

Which mindset do you think will help you be more successful in life? It’s not always easy to change your mindset. But it’s definitely possible. And it’s worth it.

Here are some tips to help you change your mindset:

1. Be aware of your thoughts.

The first step is to become aware of your thoughts. Pay attention to the way you talk to yourself. Are you always putting yourself down? Are you always focusing on the negative?

2. Challenge your negative thoughts.

Once you’re aware of your negative thoughts, you can start to challenge them. Are they really true? Are they helpful? Are there any other ways to look at the situation?

3. Practice positive thinking.

Make a conscious effort to think more positive thoughts. Focus on what’s going right in your life, not what’s going wrong. Focus on your strengths and what you’re good at.

4. Be patient.

Changing your mindset takes time. Be patient with yourself and don’t expect overnight results. Keep at it and you’ll see gradual improvements.

5. Get support.

Talk to a friend or family member who is supportive and positive. They can help you stay motivated and focused on changing your mindset. Changing your mindset is a journey. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it, and it can lead to a happier, more successful life.

Write Your Fears Down

Whether it’s a fear of failure, a fear of rejection, or a fear of the unknown, we all have something that holds us back from truly living our best lives.

One of the best ways to deal with our fears is to simply write them down. By putting our fears into words, we can begin to understand them better and, hopefully, start to overcome them.

So, what are you afraid of? Take a piece of paper and a pen and start writing. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation, just let the words flow. Once you’re finished, take a look at what you’ve written and see if you can identify any patterns or common themes.

Here are some of the things you might want to include:

What are you afraid of?What are the consequences of your fear?What are the odds of the thing you’re afraid of actually happening?What would you do if the thing you’re afraid of did happen?

Do you see any patterns? Are there any common themes? What do your fears say about you?

Once you’ve taken some time to reflect on your fears, it’s time to start working on overcoming them. Remember, you’re the only one who can change your life, so don’t be afraid to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. You might just surprise yourself.

Take Small Steps

We all have our own set of fears. Some of us are afraid of public speaking, while others are afraid of job interviews or sky diving. No one said you have to do it all in one go. You can take small, bite-sized steps to overcome your fear.

Start by thinking about what it is that you’re afraid of. Is it the actual act of speaking in public, or is it the thought of being judged by others? Once you’ve identified your fear, you can start to work on overcoming it.

If you’re afraid of public speaking, start by practicing in front of a mirror. This will help you to get a feel for what you need to do in order to project confidence. Then, try speaking in front of a friend or family member. This will help you to get over your nerves and give you the practice you need.

If you’re afraid of job interviews, start by doing some research. Learn as much as you can about the company you’re interviewing with and the position you’re applying for. This will help you to feel more prepared and confident when you go into the interview. Then, practice your answers to common interview questions with a friend or family member. This will help you to get over your nerves and give you the practice you need.

No matter what your fear is, you can overcome it by taking small, bite-sized steps. Identify your fear, do some research, and then practice, practice, practice. With time and effort, you’ll be able to overcome anything that’s holding you back.

Outsmart Your Fear

One of the most difficult things to do in life is to face your fears head-on. It’s easy to let fear control you, but it’s not always easy to stand up to it and conquer it.

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When you’re faced with something that scares you, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Everyone feels fear at some point in their lives. The key is to not let fear control you.

There are a few things you can do to outsmart your fear. First, it’s important to understand what’s triggering your fear. If you can identify the source of your fear, you can start to work on addressing it.

Second, try to re-frame your thinking about the situation that’s causing you fear. Instead of thinking about all the ways that things could go wrong, focus on the positive outcomes that are possible.

Third, take small steps to face your fear. If you’re afraid of public speaking, for example, start by speaking in front of a small group of people. Gradually increase the size of the group as you become more comfortable.

Finally, remember that you’re not alone. Talk to a friend or family member about what you’re going through. They can offer support and understanding.

Get Support

No one said you had to overcome your fears all by yourself. It’s okay to ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like you can’t do it all on your own, that’s perfectly normal. In fact, it’s a good idea to ask for help when you’re struggling. There’s no shame in admitting that you need a little assistance.

The people who care about you will be more than happy to support you as you work through your fears. Lean on your loved ones for strength and encouragement. Talk to them about what you’re going through and let them know how they can help.

There are also professional resources available if you need more comprehensive support. Therapists can help you understand and work through your fears. They can provide guidance and tools to help you make progress.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it. It’s a sign of strength, not weakness.

Create An Action Plan

When it comes to dealing with our fears, it’s important to have a plan. After all, taking action is the best way to overcome our fears. But what does a good plan look like? Well, it depends on the fear you’re trying to overcome. But there are some general principles that can help you create a plan that will work for you.

1. Start with the end in mind.

When you’re making a plan to overcome your fears, it’s important to start with the end goal in mind. What do you want to achieve? What does success look like? Keep this in mind as you create your plan.

2. Break it down into smaller steps.

Once you know what your goal is, break it down into smaller steps that you can take to get there. Having a series of smaller goals will help you stay focused and motivated as you work to overcome your fear.

3. Put it in writing.

Writing out your plan can help you clarify your thoughts and make it more concrete. Plus, it can be helpful to refer back to your plan when you’re feeling discouraged.

4. Share it with someone you trust.

Telling someone else about your plan can help you stay accountable and on track. Find a friend, family member, or therapist who can offer support and encouragement.

5. Take action.

Of course, the most important part of any plan is to take action. Once you’ve created your plan, it’s time to put it into motion. Don’t let your fear stop you from taking the first step.

Making a plan is a great first step in overcoming your fears. But it’s only part of the journey. Be patient with yourself and don’t give up. With time and effort, you can overcome anything.

Be Inspired

When it comes to fear, we all have our own unique experiences and triggers. For some of us, the thought of public speaking or heights can send us into a panic. Others may have a more general sense of anxiety that can make everyday activities feel daunting.

No matter what your fear is, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Everyone has fears, and everyone (including all the successful people that you admire) has had to deal with them at some point in their life. The key to success is finding ways to overcome your fears and moving forward despite them.

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When you’re feeling afraid, take a moment to think about someone you admire who has achieved great things despite their fear. This can be anyone, from a historical figure to a businessman or entrepreneur, or even a friend or family member. Consider what they have accomplished and how they overcame their fear.

Remember that if they can do it, so can you. Use their story as inspiration to help you push through your own fears and achieve your goals.

Use What Works For You

When it comes to overcoming our fears, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We all have different fears, and what works for one person might not work for another. However, there are some techniques that can be helpful for many of us.

One technique that can be helpful is keeping a journal. This can be a way to identify our fears and track our progress in overcoming them. It can also be a way to release our fears and let them go.

Another technique that can be helpful is meditation. This can help us to focus on the present moment and let go of our fears. It can also help us to connect with our inner wisdom and find the strength to face our fears.

Visualizations can also be helpful. This can involve picturing ourselves overcoming our fears or visualizing a peaceful and calm place. This can help to shift our focus and give us the courage to face our fears.

Find a technique that works for you and that you can commit to. Try out different techniques and see what works best for you. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person might not work for another. But if we keep trying, we will find a way to overcome our fears.

Get Physical

When you’re under stress, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, which means that your sympathetic nervous system is activated. This causes your heart rate to increase, your blood vessels to constrict, and your muscles to tense up.

If you’re constantly in this state, it can lead to physical problems like headaches, digestive issues, and even heart disease.

Do a quick body check to see if you’re holding any fear in your body. Is your jaw clenched, are your shoulders hunched, your fists clenched? Are you frowning?

That’s why it’s so important to find ways to release the physical tension that you may be holding in your body. Exercise is a great way to do this, as it helps to release endorphins, which are natural mood-boosters.

Yoga, Tai Chi, and meditation are also great for relaxation. If you can find a way to focus on your breath and clear your mind, it can help to ease the physical tension in your body.

Try to make time for some relaxation and self-care every day. It may be hard to find the time, but your body will thank you for it in the long run.

It’s All About Perspective

Worry has a way of distorting reality. It can make small problems seem huge and insurmountable. This is especially true at 4 a.m. when you’ve been lying awake for hours, worrying about everything that could go wrong.

The first step to putting your worries into perspective is to take a deep breath and remind yourself that most things are not as bad as they seem. Most problems have a way of working themselves out, one way or another.

Try to focus on the things that you can control and let go of the things that you can’t. Worrying about things that you can’t control is a waste of energy and only serves to make you feel more stressed.

Take things one step at a time. Break down your worries into manageable pieces and tackle them one at a time. You’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel once you start taking action.

Finally, don’t forget to take care of yourself. Worry can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Make sure to eat healthy, exercise, and get plenty of rest. When you take care of yourself, you’ll be better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way.

Conclusion

If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety or fear, know that you’re not alone. Millions of people deal with these issues on a daily basis. While it can be difficult to manage, there are ways to overcome your fear. Remember that fear is a natural emotion and it’s okay to feel it.

But don’t let it control you. With a little bit of effort, you can manage your fear and live a life full of confidence! In this article, we’ve shared 11 tips on how to do just that. We hope that by the end, you have a better understanding of how to manage your fears and are one step closer to conquering them!

As you can appreciate, changing the way you think can have a huge impact on your life, and if you want to know more about developing an inspirational mindset for success, please click on the featured resource below for a free Strong Mindset report; download, read it and take action

7 Tips To Make Fear Your Friend

What scares you the most? Is it the loss of someone you care about? Is it having to go to the dentist? Perhaps you’re afraid of thunderstorms, heights, or elevators.

Fear is normal, no matter what it is. It’s how our bodies alert us that we’re in danger and that we should be cautious.

However, our concerns can sometimes become so overwhelming that they prevent us from reaching our greatest potential. They fill us with so much fear and uncertainty that we become continually concerned and anxious about the tiniest details.

Surprisingly, fear in its positive form might be beneficial to our health. It has the ability to spark fresh thoughts and encourage us to achieve new heights.

As a result, we’re here today to assist you in making fear your ally. If you follow the tips below, you’ll be able to change an enemy into an ally.

If you don’t understand the mechanisms of fear, learning how to conquer it can be a daunting task. Recognize that fear is a natural evolutionary response before you chastise yourself for feeling terrified.

Your body and brain are attempting to communicate with you, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. You can permanently overcome fear if you learn to read the signals.

Let’s get started.

Firstly, Let’s Explain What Fear Is

When we are confronted with a threat to our mental or physical well-being, our bodies go into survival mode, triggering the fight-flight-or-freeze reaction.

You’d be vulnerable to danger if you didn’t have the fear reaction. Despite this, our bodies react with dread in many instances where we are not physically threatened in the modern world.

A known external occurrence, such as a loud noise, peering over the edge of a cliff, or standing in front of a crowd, might cause fear.

When you’re scared, your heart will race, and your breathing will become more rapid. A “pit” in your stomach, dizziness, sweating, or a dry mouth are all possible symptoms. You can feel stiff or weak in your muscles. All of this is a result of your body sending signals to the outside world.

So, you need to…

Determine The Source

This is perhaps the most difficult phase, but it’s well worth it. However, in order to conquer your fear, you must first come to grips with the basis of your anxiety.

Being conscious of the root reason will be challenging at first, but it will strengthen you. You won’t have to live in the shadow of that huge, overpowering fear anymore.

Embrace Your Fear

You’ve confronted your apprehension. It’s now time to accept it.

But first and foremost, you must recognise that such-and-such terrifies you. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. To begin, speak it aloud, preferably to another person in a natural context.

You can also jot down your thoughts in a journal or diary. The idea is to get them out of your head and into the real world. That’s when your fear relinquishes control.

It also feels better to get it off your chest and tell the world about it. You’d be shocked at how many people are terrified of the same things you are.

Think Logically

Fear causes us to panic, and panic causes us to make poor decisions. Our prefrontal cortex, in fact, shuts down when we panic, according to various studies. This is the part of our brain that controls rational thought.

So, despite your anxiety and terror, you need to be able to learn to think rationally. Make terror your ally, and you’ll be able to do much more in life.

Take Stock

Fear, tension, and anxiety are all handled differently by people. Some people thrive under pressure and really enjoy being challenged. Others like to work at their own speed without the pressure of imminent deadlines.

Whatever method you choose, the most essential thing is to avoid allowing fear to overcome you. Let’s say you’re terrified of speaking in public. But then a colleague suddenly became ill and asked you to step in and deliver the presentation you’d been working on for weeks.

In this situation, you must choose whether to let your fear to overcome you or to rise to the occasion.

The latter will be difficult, but it will be well worth it in the end. Keep an objective mindset and remind yourself that others have given presentations before and survived to tell the tale. So, what exactly is the big deal?

Remember that your mind has a tendency to exaggerate things. So, find a strategy to cope with the tension and assess the situation. It’s the only way you’ll be able to control your anxiety and finish the work.

Get Help And Support

With a robust support system, no one has ever failed. Surround yourself with people who will motivate you to achieve your goals. These are the ones who choose to love you unconditionally despite listening to you scream about your concerns and anxiety.

A great deal of research has been done on the advantages of having a support system. It improves your self-esteem and overall well-being by giving you effective coping abilities.

Furthermore, having a strong support system can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

Remain Positive

When you’re afraid, you’re more likely to dwell on negative ideas and feelings. Then, in your mind, things fester and grow into this huge, hideous beast that you can’t control.

For a change, why not try some positivity? Remember that the mind is quite powerful; all it need is a gentle prod in the proper direction.

You can overcome your anxieties and live to tell the tale if you think positively. All you have to do now is believe it, and the rest will take care of itself.

Build Faith In Yourself

You can increase your comfort zone and confidence by celebrating tiny victories when confronted with fear, switching to positive self-talk, and imagining positive outcomes. People handle worst-case events significantly better than they expect, according to fear research.

Dedication to a greater cause, whether it’s a spiritual conviction, altruism, or personal ambitions, can help us overcome fear and stay on track when we’re feeling down.

Rather than fighting, avoiding, attempting to control, or feeling horrible about fear, learn to approach it as a friendly companion, anticipating it to show up and welcoming it when it does.

It isn’t a problem if you stop thinking of it as one.

5 Things You Probably Never Knew About Fear

Before we start, if you want an explanation of what fear is, then read this post.

For you to learn how to conquer your fear and turn your fear into courage, you must understand the science of fear, and this is what leads us to the 5 things you probably never knew about fear.

Have you ever wondered why some people avoid fear while horror movie buffs and roller-coaster fans thrive on fear for pleasure?

Here are a few things to keep in your mind about fear.

Fear Is Physical

Well, you’ll already have understood this by now since it was already mentioned earlier that fear can be a biochemical reaction. Triggering a strong physical reaction in your body, fear is as well experienced in your mind.

Once you recognize fear, your body starts reacting — there will be changes in your blood flow, you’ll start breathing faster, your heart rate and blood pressure will increase, stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol will be released, and your nervous system will get alerted as your amygdala goes to work.

Your body as well prepares for fight-or-flight as you’ll find it easy to run for your life or start throwing punches due to the changes in blood flow.

Fear Can Make You Foggy

Yes, fear can make you foggy. In case you’re not so sure about what the word “foggy” means, this simply means to be “befuddled” or “confused”. If you’re a movie buff, you’d have a clear idea of what this is about.

For example, let’s say a guy is getting “cozy” with his girlfriend and three armed persons forced their way in. If that guy is captivated by fear, you’d see how confused or perplexed he would be.

At that point, he won’t be able to think clearly and he’ll be so melted that his decision-making skills will suffer. When fear happens, there are some parts of the brain that stop working and there are also some parts that become very active. When fear sets in your body, the brain’s area that’s responsible for judgement and reasoning, the cerebral cortex, suffers an impairment.

Fear Can Become Pleasure

Do you ever wonder why many love it when they get caught up in stressful, fearful, moments?

People who are a great fan of horror movies, haunted houses, and rollercoasters thrive on fear to derive pleasure, and for them, the excitement doesn’t come just during the activity but when it has ended because their brain and body stay aroused as the excitation transfer process occurs.

Pleasure is elicited as more of a chemical called dopamine gets produced during a staged fear experience.

Fear Is Not Phobia

Many tend to misconstrue fear with phobia not knowing that these two are clearly different. For instance, you may be experiencing more than just fear if the thought of basking on the beach makes you powerless, traumatized, and terrorized. On the other hand, you may just want to avoid swimming in the ocean because of a movie you just watched.

Simply put, phobia is a more complex version of fear. Fear is milder than a phobia. You may have a phobia if you see yourself taking serious measures to avoid rats, roaches, people, spiders, elevators, or water.

When you find it herculean to maintain a consistent quality of life and your ability to function is being interfered with, this is when fear becomes a phobia. Fears are how you commonly react to objects or events.

Fear Keeps you Safe

Yeah, that was clearly written; fear does keep you safe. Unlike what you may have thought, heard, or believed, fear keeps us safe and it’s very vital that we experience fear.

We all experience this natural and biological condition, fear, and even though it can have its negative consequences, it can also be positive and healthy because it’s a complex human emotion.

Common And Unique Fears

Meaning fear or horror, the Greek word “phobos” is where the word phobia comes from. Phobia is unlikely to cause harm and it’s simply an irrational fear of something. Fears associated with specific situations, medical issues, natural environments, or animals are some of what phobias typically involve.

There are certain situations and objects attributed to specific phobias and phobias can be further explicitly described to be an unrealistic, intense, and persistent fear of a particular situation or an object.

Phobias can interfere with one’s schooling, performance at the workplace, and life at home. They can as well cause significant distress and they’re quite distinct from regular fears.

People who are phobic about something tend to manage to endure it with so much anxiety or fear or perhaps, strive to avoid whatever it is they have a phobia for.

However, note that the list of specific phobias is quite long because there’s an endless number of situations and objects. Phobias come in all sizes and shapes and there are five general categories where specific phobias typically fall within, as stated by some experts:

Fears associated with specific situations (driving, riding an elevator, flying)
Fears associated with medical issues, injury, or blood (falls, broken bones, injection)
Fears associated with the natural environment (darkness, sun, mountains, thunder, heights)
Fears associated with animals (insects, cats, dogs, rabbits, spiders)
Others (drowning, loud noises, choking)

Common Phobias

When one speaks of phobias, the list is endless. The five general ones and the list of many others have already been outlined. However, it seems that phobias never end as there are usually different phobias discovered by researchers and clinicians.

These medical experts have found it necessary to rise to the occasion of naming different phobias as they are identified. For this, they use the -phobia suffix and a relatable Latin or Greek prefix relating to the phobia to make up a name.

For instance, hydro (water) and phobia (fear) are combined to make hydrophobia which means the fear of water. We also have phobophobia which means the fear of fears.

Nevertheless, speaking of common phobias, there’s a source that outlined some of the most common phobias and this was published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, in accordance with a 1998 survey that included more than 8,000 respondents.

Here they are:

zoophobia, fear of animals
ophidiophobia, fear of snakes
hydrophobia, fear of water
hemophobia, fear of blood
claustrophobia, fear of confined or crowded spaces
autophobia, fear of being alone
astraphobia, fear of thunder and lightning
arachnophobia, fear of spiders
aerophobia, fear of flying
acrophobia, fear of heights

Unique Phobias

Just as we have common phobias, you shouldn’t find it surprising that we also have unique phobias. We call these phobias unique because most people who have them tend not to report these unusual fears to their doctors and this makes them difficult to identify plus some of these phobias may only affect a handful of people at a time.

Since you now know that certain phobias tend to be incredibly specific and unusual, here are some of them:

Cryophobia, fear of ice or cold
Nephophobia, fear of clouds
Pogonophobia, fear of beards
Onomatophobia, fear of names
Alektorophobia, fear of chickens

Treating A Phobia

A qualified mental health professional or a psychologist is the best person to speak to if you seek treatment for your phobia and this is simply because a combination of medications and therapy is what’s used to treat phobias.

Howbeit, exposure therapy is a type of psychotherapy that’s noted to be very effective in treating specific phobias. You’ll get to learn how to become less sensitive to whatever makes you fearful as you work with your psychologist during exposure therapy.

You’ll be able to learn to control your reactions and get to change how you feel or think about the situation or object with the aid of this treatment. Benzodiazepines and beta-blockers are some of the medications that can be recommended to you to help reduce your panic, fear, anxiety, and uncomfortable feelings you may have.

These medications do a lot of good in making exposure therapy less distressing but take note that they aren’t exactly a treatment for phobias for they are only to help you through the exposure therapy.

What Is Fear And What To Do About It?

No one is born courageous. However, we can’t afford to live in fear forever. One of the best ways to find success in our lives and businesses is by living a courageous life because we can’t sit back and watch fear dictate what we should do, when we should do them, and how we should do them.

Fear will always deprive us of the opportunity to get what we deserve and what we want, and we must not let that happen.

You may probably be thinking that “hmm, it’s easier said than done” but the fact remains that it’s very possible to live a courageous life and live a life that’s void of fear.

Of course, it’s human to be fearful but with fear also comes a decision to be calm and courageous. For us to live the life we want, we must learn to banish fear from our lives.

Whether a danger is psychological or physical, fear helps to notify us of the threat of harm or presence of danger. Fear involves a high individual emotional response and a universal biochemical response. Fear is a primitive, powerful, and natural human emotion.

While fear can be an indication of mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder, it can as well originate from imagined dangers, but it often stems from real threats.

However, take note that fear that’s highly personalized is stemming from an emotional response and on the other hand, our body as well responds in specific ways when we face a perceived threat — this is a biochemical reaction.

Fear is a survival mechanism and a natural emotion and, high adrenaline levels, increased heart rate, and sweating are some of the physical reactions to fear.

Symptoms Of Fear

As earlier mentioned, you can react emotionally or physically, or even both, to fear. While it’s possible that we all may react to fear in different ways, here are some common symptoms of fear:

Upset stomach
Trembling
Sweating
Shortness of breath
Rapid heartbeat
Nausea
Dry mouth
Chills
Chest pain

Some people also have the tendency of experiencing psychological symptoms of having a sense of impending death, feeling out of control, being upset, or being overwhelmed

Causes Of Fear

Fear is more complex than how most people see it. While some people may trivialize fear and say it’s for the weak, even the strongest person on the planet has his or her own fear.

Think of the strongest wrestler or boxer in the world. Would you think such a person would have fears? Apparently, what we fear is different, and what makes someone fearful can be more complex or less complex, compared to another person.

Nevertheless, here are some of the common fear triggers:

The unknown/uncertainty
Real environmental dangers
Imagined events
Future events
Situations or some specific objects (flying, heights, crowd, roaches, snakes, spiders, etc.)

Take note that certain fears can be related to associations or traumatic experiences. Others that aid in survival can be evolutionarily influenced because they tend to be innate.

Characterized by fear, here are some of the distinct kinds of anxiety disorders:

Social anxiety disorder
Specific phobia
Social anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Panic disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Agoraphobia

Why You Must Overcome Fear

The kinds of fear most people have only existed in their head and some of these fears include fear of being hurt, fear of being alone, fear of growing old, fear of humiliation, fear of rejection, fear of judgment, fear of changes, fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of losing out, fear of authority, fear of strangers, fear of people, fear of public speaking, and the list goes on and on!

Do you look at your future and you feel feverish immediately because you’re not sure of what tomorrow holds? Do you get intimated easily or you’re often filled with fear?

If you feel you’re less of a courageous person, here are some reasons why you must brace up yourself to overcome your fears.

Fear limits your full potential. Fear makes it difficult for you to grow and progress in life. When you’re driven by fear, living your best life, and becoming a better person becomes very herculean and you’ll find it very challenging to believe in personal growth.

Reaching the higher levels of consciousness is impossible if we keep entrenching ourselves off in the land of fear. For us to rise to the higher levels of enlightenment, peace, joy, love, and acceptance, we must not be mired in fear.

Most of us have the propensity of constantly vibrating at the level of fear and this is one of the major problems in our today’s society.

For us to reach our full potential, we must not let our life become a by-product of fear because we’ll be reduced to a slave of fear if fear is the only thing that drives our decisions, feelings, and thoughts. Understand that reaching your fullest potential is impossible if you keep on reacting to fear.

You can never fully run away from fear. How long can you run away from your fear? Think of it yourself. Since you’ve been running, what has it done to you? Has it helped you get rid of the fear completely or does it complicate it more?

Running will only make you feel secure, but you’ll always be haunted by your fear in everything you do if you refuse to deal with it and let it permeate. Mental fear is pervasive. It’s impossible for you to fully run away from fear, even though it may not be obvious.

Know that fear will always try to catch up with you more when you keep running and there comes a time when it will corner you and you’ll have no means to escape.

And when this eventually happens, you’ll have two options alone; brace up yourself to face your fear or shiver thoroughly. Thus, you would see that it’s quite pertinent that you learn to overcome fear now because avoidance is not the best solution, and it can never be.

Regardless of whatever your fear is, tell yourself that now is the time to deal with it.

Fear is a waste of your energy. When you succumb to fear, you’re investing your energy into something non-constructive. Instead of you brainstorming, identifying solutions, mapping out a way forward, and calmly processing the situation, fear consumes your physical and mental energy, and it draws you back.

Although fear, in some cases, can be a motivating factor to do more and perform better, especially for adrenaline seekers, it can as well be a waste of emotional and mental energy.

Fear is all in your mind. It’s funny that fear is harmless, even though it often seems scary and looks frightful. The danger made up in your mind is what mental fear is based on. A good example of this is the fear of speaking in public and this is something a lot of people suffer from.

Do you even ever think of why people are so scared of public speaking? In the real sense, you’ll not experience any harm in your physical body when you speak publicly.

However, you’ll get to realize that this fear is stemming from you thinking that you may be embarrassed, you may mess up, you may be judged, or you may slip up.

You see, all these fears, they’re all in your mind. Whether you think the audience will not be interested to hear your speech, you feel the presentation will go wrong, you may forget your speech, or whatever it is you may be thinking of, it’s all made up because they’re yet to happen.

There’s even no guarantee that any of these things will happen in the future even if they’ve already happened at a time before now. Whatever outcome you desire, it’s up to you to make it happen. The future is yet to happen. You’re in the present. Relax and do well to make it count.

How To Overcome Fear Of Change

Someone once said that death and taxes are the only two unavoidable things in life. They got it wrong – they forgot to add change. The third one is unavoidable. Nothing in life stays the same because change is an inevitable part of any natural cycle.

We’re often taken unawares by change and shocked when it happens. We’re afraid of it and resist it vehemently because we fear the unknown.

How It Holds You Back

A good example to illustrate this type of fear is technology. It’s become an integral part of our lives and most people are comfortable using it. In fact, some people are unable to function without it.

However, there are others who resist it. They insist on using traditional tools like notebooks and ledgers, paper invoices and manual accounting. They know the bare basics of computers and cell phones but just aren’t interested in upping their tech skills.

People who don’t like technology are in fact resisting change, in this case, our increasing dependence on technology. They regard this change as a total upheaval of the familiar lifestyle that they’re comfortable with.

A person who fears change isn’t likely to advance in their career with poor technical skills. In a world where digital tools make so many processes faster and easier, their productivity will suffer drastically.

Change can often be good and even life-changing if you’re able to look beyond your fear of it. High achievers and great people embrace change and see it as a challenge. For them, change is an opportunity to grow and achieve bigger successes. That’s what makes great people great!

The fear of change is linked to fear of the unknown and the unknown signifies risk. Risk, as we discussed earlier, links to survival. Therefore, the fear of change is sometimes very strong, especially in times of political or economic turmoil.

Action Steps

Here are a couple of quick action steps you can take to stop fear of change from holding you back.

Try New Things

Engaging in experiences that are new to you helps you become more accepting of change. It trains your mind to process that the unknown isn’t always bad. In fact, it can be amazingly fun and stimulating. You also have full control over what you choose to try.

This conditions your mind to be more comfortable with change. The key is to engage in new and different experiences like traveling abroad, which allows you to experience different cultures and engage with different people.

Trying new cuisine, learning a new language, or taking a class also helps ease your fear of change. The point is that what you choose to try should be something completely new to you, so, get creative! Make the rounds of your local ethnic restaurants, take a martial arts class, or sign up for singing lessons. As long as it’s something totally new, it’ll work.

Get Uncomfortable Once In A While

Next, up the level of trying new things by doing what makes you uncomfortable. Public speaking is a great example of this. For most people, giving a presentation or speaking in front of an audience is as uncomfortable as it can get! That’s the whole point of this exercise.

Another example is having a conversation with a particularly obnoxious person such as a chronic complainer or cynical hatemonger – and staying calm and collected. Attending a church service if you’re non-religious can be very uncomfortable as well.

Trying things that scare you also falls into this category. A wild roller-coaster ride or bungee jumping, deep-sea diving… we all have certain things we’ve never considered doing because they frighten us. Even trying them once will go a long way towards breaking your fear of change.

Overcoming your fears can be very liberating but is often difficult, and one of the most difficult of these is the dreaded fear of rejection, because nobody wants to be rejected and laughed at do they?

Fear Of Rejection/Ridicule

This fear is related to emotional pain and trauma. For some of us, it has its roots in childhood, where we experienced some form of abuse or bullying. These types of experiences and the negative emotions associated with them are often repressed. They continue to fester inside, causing fear of rejection or ridicule.

How it holds you back

One of the most dangerous consequences of this fear is that we can become obsessed with seeking approval. As a result, we may stifle our individuality and personal opinions to ‘conform’ or ‘fit in’. This could be very detrimental to personal growth and creativity.

Even worse, the desire to avoid ridicule or rejection can drive us to compromise our values and beliefs. In other words, we sell ourselves out. What’s more, we know it and feel terrible about it. This can lead to self-hate, one of the most toxic emotions of all.

Action Steps

Here are a couple of quick action steps you can take to stop fear of rejection from holding you back. Overcoming this fear will be a major step forward in your life.

Surround Yourself With The Right People

These are family members, friends and colleagues who totally love and accept you as you are. They see all your brilliant qualities and are generous with encouragement and support.

Surround yourself with as many of these people as you can. They’ll give you the confidence and self-worth to deal with criticism and rejection and accept that you just can’t please everyone.

Stand Up For Something You Believe In

Find a cause that you’re passionate about such as the environmental crisis, world hunger or animal rights. Educate yourself on the topic and join an advocacy group.

Speak about your cause to others and try to enlist their efforts. This applies to your political, religious, and moral convictions as well.

You don’t necessarily need to advertise them to all and sundry but don’t be afraid to speak up and defend them with courage and conviction.

Overcoming this fear can have a big impact on how you live your life, and what you can achieve, so it is well worth trying to conquer this.

And remember, nobody can make you feel rejected without your permission; you can reframe these occasions and nip the feeling of rejection in the bud.

Let’s look at one more fear that may be holding you back from living the life you want.

Fear Of Responsibility

The fear of responsibility is directly related to the fear of failure and the fear of risk. Some people also fear responsibility because they don’t like to be held accountable for their actions. They prefer to blame others rather than honestly confront themselves.

How it holds you back

This fear can hold you back professionally because you gain a reputation as someone who shuns responsibility and therefore, has no commitment or dedication to their career.

Taking full responsibility is the mark of leaders and high achievers. They hold themselves fully accountable for their actions and the outcomes of their decisions. They quickly jump in to fix mistakes and address emergency situations rather than waste time blaming themselves or others.

In your personal life, the fear of responsibility can be extremely detrimental to relationships. You may delay important decisions like marriage or starting a family. You may experience a painful breakup or lose potential partners because you’re seen as someone who shuns commitment.

Action steps

Here are a couple of quick action steps you can take to stop fear of rejection from holding you back.

Fix Your Flaws

Train yourself to become more responsible by honestly identifying your flaws and reflecting on them. You may tend to interrupt others in conversation or not listen actively. You may tend to gossip. You could be holding yourself back by seeing yourself as the perpetual victim.

We all have personal flaws that we can work on to improve. Whatever your own may be, make the intention to fix them and become a better person. In the process, you’ll realize that taking responsibility feels great!

Learn To Apologize

People who fear responsibility often find it hard to apologize for their mistakes. Commit to apologizing when you make a mistake or feel that you’ve offended someone.

Any simple apology will do. For example, “I’m sorry if that sounded rude, I didn’t mean it to be” or “I’m sorry for not responding to your email promptly but I was having a hectic day.”

There’ll be opportunities every day to make an apology so take advantage of them as often as you can.

Don’t worry, it gets easier over time. And again, you’ll feel great about having the integrity and honesty to admit you were wrong.

Make Promises And Keep Them

Never commit to something unless you can keep your commitment. This is an integral part of learning to take responsibility.

Failing to follow through with promises is the quickest way to lose respect or even important people in your life.

Stop Blaming Others

Don’t take the easy way out by blaming others, even if they are wrong. Stay alert to this negative reaction because quite simply, it’s not going to fix anything.

When something goes wrong, ditch the blame game and look for ways to set things right. If you feel that someone needs to be made aware of a mistake, you can explain to them later what they did wrong and how they can avoid it the next time around.

Likewise, stay alert to your feelings of perpetual victimhood. Be brutally honest with yourself because you know that the world isn’t out to get you.

If you are being treated unfairly or victimized in some way, only you can change that. Own up to the fact that you can take control of your life and change any negative situation.

fear of success