Fear can definitely get the best of us. Be it the fear of failure, fear of success or even fear of having fear itself. Yup, it's true. All of us have, and will experience fear at some point in our lives. It can be a real stumbling obstacle that holds us back from being our true authentic self.
Always remember this - All fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by a 'belief.'
YOUR belief.
Fear can hold you back forever.. if you let it. There are several ways to overcome and conquer fear. However, we will stick to 9 of my favorite ones today.
And yes, I'm aware that some of these sound a little cliche.
1. SEPARATE REALITY FROM PERCEPTION
Ask yourself what is really going on:
- 'What is the why' behind my feeling this way?
- Why is this emotion affiliated with this thought?
- Are these thoughts facts, or this simply the narrative I'm used to telling myself?
2. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER
Figure out what it is in the situation that triggers you. Identify it. Ask yourself 'What is the why behind this triggering me?' This will give you clarity and help you learn to make peace with it.
3. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY
Many times, fear can take over physically and hold itself as stress in the body. It affects different people different ways. For example, holding stress in the shoulders.
Identify if/how it affects your physical body and do the work to take care of your body. If you neglect to do this, that stress will build over time. Making us potentially step into the mindset of 'creating mountains over mole hills.'
4. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Everyday, list out 1-3 things you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, gratitude helps shift the mind into a growth state. Over time, this helps us overcome fear.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE
You know that little voice in the back of your head that fills your head up with those self limiting beliefs? Ya.. ignore that little shit. All it's trying to do is protect our ego from feeling vulnerable.
Pro Tip: If you wouldn’t say it to a loved one, don’t say it to yourself.
There is enough negativity in the world. Why purposely load your own plate up with more garbage?
6. CREATE A NEW ASSOCIATION
Remind yourself that the feeling of the current moment will pass. Focus on the opportunity of the situation, rather than the scary 'what if's?'
7. LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL
Perception is a very powerful thing. How you feel about your situation dictates how you respond. If you think opportunistically, you’ll have yourself a WAY better chance of success in whatever you're striving for. This won’t happen overnight, of course. Changing a thought pattern is the same as changing a bad habit. It will take time. Practice with just one thought. What is one recurring limiting thought you have? Work on shifting your perspective. Overtime, this will become a habit.
8. PRACTICE BREATHING EXERCISES
Breathing helps center your body. When you stop breathing, your heart stops beating. Do grounding exercises. Simply taking 5 deep, long breaths can be enough to reset your software. This is a fantastic way to start you day, but of course, feel free to any place and time.
9. CREATE A SAFE SPACE
When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear or vulnerability. Find(or create) somewhere safe you can retreat to when those crippling thoughts make their rounds to creep in. Whether this is a real place like your bedroom, or a place in your imagination. This will create a sense of comfort and allow you to face your fear to overcome and conquer it
Please remember that these are just 9 strategies. Not everything works for everyone but this is a solid place to start. Once you start implementing these practices, this becomes the first steps towards taking back and owning your life!
- Coach Wolverine