October 11th is “National Face Your Fears Day.” A lot people shy away from facing their fears. They don’t want to face them. Fears come up when people are out their comfort zone. What you and others do not realize is facing your fears is a great way to grow. You can gain courage and confidence. Plus, being adventurous in doing something new can be thrilling.
I personally tackle my fear head-on. It won’t linger that way. For some that may not be what they want to do. Here are some ideas to consider.
What You Can Do to Face Your Fears
These ideas I modified from 10 Ways to Fight Your Fear from NHS Inform :
- Take a time out – It is hard to tackle fear. Especially, when you are struggling with it. It is a great idea to step away from it. Take a 15-minute walk or make a cup of tea.
- Breathe through panic – With panic you can do several things. Before a surgery, I panicked once. A nurse had me breathe in a bag. It calmed me. Try doing some deep diaphoretic breathing that works too. Place your hand on your stomach. Breathe slowly and deeply. Do a set of 10. Your mind and heartbeat will slow down. You will feel at ease.
- Face your fears – This is obvious and is what I do. I face my fears head-on. When you face your fear right away, you will get it behind you. The fear begins to ease over time. Also, taking small steps to tackle big fears is very helpful.
- Imagine the worst – What is the worse possible thing that can happen to you. You may think about “having a heart attack.” It’s just not possible. Your logic will win out.
- Look at the evidence – Challenge your fearful thoughts. Pick one like possibly you’re scared of suffocating when trapped in an elevator. Ask yourself if you have ever heard of this happening.
- Don’t try to be perfect -Life is full of stress. Many of us feel that our lives must be perfect. You will have times where life does not go the way it expect it. Remember that life is messy and there are things out of your control.
- Visualize a happy place – I prefer this one. It helps me to relax. Close your eyes and imagine that you are walking on a beautiful beach with waves lapping at your feet. These sensations of peace and relaxation will soothe you and relax you.
- Talk about it – Sharing fears with others often takes away a lot of their scariness. I do this often. Plus you get a different perspective.
- Go back to basics – Basics are getting a good night’s sleep, eating a wholesome meal and walking often the best cures for fear and anxiety.
- Reward yourself – Once you successfully faced a fear, celebrate! Go for a massage or to a favorite hangout. See a movie and enjoy yourself
Pick one from the list above that works for you. Once you tackled your fear, remember to reward yourself. Rewarding yourself reinforces that you are past the fear.
Other Topics that May Help You
Stress often triggers fear. In a blog post a few months ago, “Don’t Let Stress & Anxiety Take a Toll on You… “, I mentioned a few more ideas including essential oils and supplementation that relieves stress. They could help you with fear too. Check it out.
What is useful is this free meditation audio tool from the Zenstant’s neural algorithm audio library to help you get through your fears too.
They have helped people with pain and stress. Give them a try.