Not all fears are bad. When imminent danger is present, our fears act as a signal to prompt adaptive responses to circumvent harm. These rational fears are the ones that spur us into action to protect against conflict and physical threat. They help to keep us safe. But not all fears are rational, and the irrational ones are the culprits that hold us back in life.
What are irrational fears?
To one degree or another, most of us experience irrational fears that make no logical sense. These fears impede how we live our life and prevent us from reaching our full potential. The fears that can deter us the most include facing change, confronting uncertainty, losing control, experiencing failure, being judged, encountering rejection, feeling abandon, and losing the freedom to be and do what we want.
So, if your fears are causing you great stress or holding you back in life, it is time to take the initiative to overcome them.
Try these techniques…
Identify what makes you fearful
Brainstorm what causes you the greatest fears. Which ones truly limit your ability to live a more beneficial and gratifying life?
Delve into your fears
Take a step back and be an observer of what is going on with your fears. What thoughts trigger your fears? When and where do you feel them? What are your reactions to your fears and how do you control them?
Voice your fears
Find people you trust and talk to them about your fears. Often, voicing your fears will lessen their power over you as well as help you explore possible ways to overcome them.
Confront your fears
Avoiding fears may do more harm than good. Facing your fears head-on often helps to diminish their impact on you. Compare it to learning how to ride a bike. When you fall off, the best course of action is to get back on and try again.
It’s not about being perfect
Life is a mixture of good and bad days. As you start facing your fears, you may encounter setbacks. Instead of beating yourself up or quitting, simply take time to reflect and regroup before moving on. Failures are simply your stepping stones to success.
Being afraid is part of being alive. Accept it, but don’t be defined by it.
