How to master your FEAR!

There are two strong forces in this world that create a huge impact on our life –  LOVE and FEAR.

They have conflicting effects on you. Love is the strong force that make you want to take risks, open yourself to the world, be vulnerable, get hurt, fail, get up, and try again.

Fear, on the other hand, is the force that pull us back from life, keeps us from moving forward, and makes us doubt ourselves more each day. Fear is a habit that brings us defeat, anxiety, despair and hopelessness.

But fear is something that is rooted within us. We don’t have to conceal it. We simply have to learn how to manage it. Mastering our fears is often a hard work and a very long journey.

But worry not, here are some tips that can make this journey truly worthwhile.

Realise that fear is only in our mind.

Fears are all in our mind. Like other negative emotions, fear can become dangerous only when we let it affect our behaviour. Therefore, we have the power to control it. The moment you start to feel afraid, don’t try to supress what you feel.

Acknowledge the fear, feel it and then analyze how likely your feared scenario is going to happen. What is the worst thing that could happen to you if you pursue it? Can it really happen? It is perfectly fine to feel scared. But it is not right to let our fear control us.

Focus more on the positives.

In every fearful thing that comes to your mind, think of one positive thing that happened to you on that day. Think of one thing you are grateful of, or one good deed you did. To downgrade the effects of fear, let your mind wander in positive thoughts and emotions. Imagine being at a beautiful place and allow yourself to feel comfortable feelings…

Congratulations, you’ve just experienced self-hypnosis.

Perhaps, consider making a gratitude journal. Every day, before you sleep, list down the three things you are most grateful of. This simple exercise can really make a big, big difference in your life.

Be vulnerable.

Seriously? We often think of being vulnerable as being fearful. But actually, one of the greatest features of courage is vulnerability. To master our fear, we have to allow ourselves to experience failure and criticism.

You don’t always have to be strong. You are a human being who is also capable of committing mistakes. Don’t be afraid to show to others your weaknesses. It is our weak points that make us more courageous.

Expose yourself to fear.

When it comes to fear, the only way out is through. Yes. One of the most effective ways to master fear is to face what we are afraid of. An overwhelming body of research tells us that the more we repeatedly expose ourselves to things we are fearful of, the lower our psychological fear response becomes.

It goes down further to the point that the fear gets manageable, and in some cases, gone. So the next time you are asked to speak in front of a big group, practice by making conversations with fewer people. The more you do a certain thing, the more you get better at it.

Manage stress.

Mastering fear is harder when you are stressed. Higher levels of stress contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression, which in turn strengthen your fears. There are many natural techniques to fight stress and among the best are self-hypnosis, yoga and physical exercise.

Keep challenging yourself.

Last but not the least, always set yourself up for challenge. Haven’t tried traveling alone?

To build a courageous character, your courageous self must be exercised more often. Courage is a habit that we can develop by repeatedly practicing acts of bravery.

You don’t have to engage in life-threatening adventures. Small risks will do, such as trying out a different menu, learning a new craft, or studying a different culture.

To be successful in life, one of the most important things we need to learn is how to master our fears. Being courageous can make a big difference in our life. Basically, there is nothing we can do if we are surrounded by fears.