Franklin Delano Roosevelt was probably one of the greatest presidents in the United States because he gave the nation some of the best advice anyone could ever receive. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This insight into human emotion and action is nearly a century old, and yet it still rings true today.
So, how do we get control over fears? If all we have to fear is fear itself, does that mean that nothing in our life is scary? Let’s take a look at some common ways that people are overcoming their fear and dealing with this timeless emotion.
Your Reaction to Fear
The Handbook of Success talks at length about fear and how to overcome it. Again, it discusses this theme that it is not the thing we fear but fear itself that is the problem. More specifically our reaction to fear.
For some people fear is motivating for other it creates a state of stress and paralysis. Some people naturally fight their fears and overcome them while others sit in a corner and cry. Therefore, the thing that you fear is not the object of your fear, say spiders or failure, but your reaction to the fear itself. How you deal with it is the most critical thing in controlling your fear.
Start with Self Reflection
To understand your fear and your reactions to it you must begin with self-reflection. It’s an excellent tool for improving your mental health as well as understanding and identifying your fears and your responses to them.
Self-reflection can also help you build confidence in your abilities, which can help you overcome the fear as well. If you begin with some internal analysis, you may find that you’re not afraid, to begin with.
Get Control of Your Imagination
Many times when people are fearful they are fearful of situations that haven’t even occurred. They’ve allowed their imaginations to run wild in the land of “what if scenarios.” These scenarios often play out the gloom and doom of the most horrific actions that could happen to whatever the fear you’re facing is.
As a result, you feel more fear. Fear of things that haven’t happened and most likely never will. To overcome your fear, you must get control of your imagination. Stop creating things to be afraid of.
Expose Yourself to Your Fear
Anxiety BC recommends that you practice real-life exposures to your fear. It doesn’t matter what your fear is whether it’s public speaking, bugs, heights, or many other things that are controlling you. Small real-life encounters with your fear can help you see that it is not as dangerous as your imagination has led you to believe. Each exposure can be a little bit longer to allow you to be calmly desensitised to the fear. The more you expose yourself to the thing you’re afraid of the less your imagination will run away with ideas of how this fear will kill you.
Look at Evidence
One of the most significant ways to challenge fearful thoughts is to look at evidence that proves your fearful thoughts wrong. This will also change your reaction to that fear because you will know the fear is unwarranted and unfounded.
The National Health Society of the UK recommends that you find statistics and evidence that proves your fear is unfounded. This will help you get over your fear and cope with the emotions associated with the fear that is holding you back.
Everyone faces fear in their life. Understanding that what holds us back when we have fear is not the object of our fear, but our reaction to it can be the first step to overcoming it. You can realize this through a little self-reflection.
If you need more help getting your imagination under control when thinking about your fear, then exposing yourself to the object of your fear may help you realise it is not as scary as you first thought. Finally, do your research and find facts that prove your imagination wrong. When you know your fear is unfounded, it is easier to override your reactions to the object of your fear.
