Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success or even fear of fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that holds us back from being truly at peace, centered and successful in our life.
Fear can’t hold you back forever, if you don’t let it. It's important to honor the fear that comes up for you, show it some compassion, embrace it and then begin to work through it.
1. SEPARATE REALITY FROM PERCEPTION
Ask yourself what is really going on, locate the facts and place them over your feelings. It's not that you shouldn't honor your feelings but you need to examine if it's the truth or if it's an unrealistic perception being portrayed by your emotions.
2. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER
Figure out what it is in a situation that triggers you. Learning to identify them will help you learn to address it and be able to shift your mindset and energy around them.
3. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY
A lot of times, fear takes over physically. It affects different people different ways. Identify if/how it affects your physical body and do the work to take care of your body. Self-Care is VITAL! For example if your stress manifests as pain in your back, try yoga stretches, acupuncture, massages.
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 positive light, which overtime, overcomes fear.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE
Monitor your inner conversations. 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. Try a meditation practice so you can learn to quiet your mind and hear the inner voice guidance.
6. 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. Mindset is everything. Your thoughts become your reality. As hard as it may be to try and think towards the outcome and not within the moment, remembering that the space you are in is just a current moment that can be shifted.
7. LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL
Perception is a very powerful thing, and how you feel about your situation dictates how you respond. So think positively and you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success. This won’t happen overnight; practice with just one thought. What is one recurring negative/fearful thought you have? Work on reversing this one thought. Overtime, this will become a habit. Journaling is my favorite way to work through this. As the negative thoughts enter your mind, jot them down. Then re-work them.
8. PRACTICE BREATHING EXERCISES
Breathing helps center your body; when you stop breathing, your heart stops beating. You can do a grounding exercise, or even just take 5 deep, long breaths at any point to calm and center yourself. It is best to start your day with this, but feel free to practice all day long. I like the box method - breathe in for 5, hold for 4, out for 5, hold for 4.
9. CREATE A SAFE SPACE
When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear. Find somewhere safe 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. This sense of comfort will soothe you and allow you to face your fear.
Instead of looking at fear as a block, honor what is coming up and then ask yourself, what can I learn from this? How can I grow in this uncomfortable space?
Please keep in mind, these are just 9 strategies, not everything works for everyone. But this is a place to start. Start implementing these techniques into your life and don’t let fear hold you back from reaching your goals and your highest potential this year!
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