Fear and anxiety can interfere with your life. These helpful tips can teach you how to overcome them.
Fear is a reaction that warns you of a perceived threat. Anxiety involves worrying about the future rather than a current physical threat. Everyone experiences these things sometimes and learning to overcome fear and anxiety can help you.
While everyone experiences fear and anxiety, it can pose a problem if it becomes a pattern. It can harm your mental stability and interfere with your life. Sometimes it’ll prevent you from enjoying experiences and accepting new opportunities.
When the situation becomes debilitating and causes avoidance, it may be time to learn how to overcome fear and anxiety. While you might want to avoid things that scare you, hiding from potential stressors can prevent growth and joy in your life.
Facing your fears can allow you to stay in control of your life rather than letting the anxiety take over. If you want to learn how to overcome fear and anxiety, you can do it on your terms.
Fear and anxiety can interfere with your life and well-being. Learning how to overcome fear and anxiety can help you live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
1. Identify and learn about your fear
Overcoming fear and anxiety require learning about them first. Identifying your fear allows you to learn about why you experience it and how you can overcome it.
Exploring the root of your fear allows you to notice things you didn’t before, such as your patterns involving the situation. You can learn more by journaling about your feelings, fears, and anxieties. Writing helps you work through the situation, helping you think clearer in the future.
2. Imagine a positive outcome
Sometimes when we experience fear and anxiety, we forget that we have any control over our emotions and thoughts, when in reality, we do. One helpful exercise is using your imagination to envision yourself positively handling a stressful situation.
Sometimes fear and anxiety will make you imagine the worst-case scenario, and you can consciously shift to a positive experience. If you’re feeling anxious about a job interview, imagine a scenario where you click right off the bat with the interviewer and present your best self.
3. Practice mindfulness meditation
When you feel fear and anxiety beginning, take some quiet time to sit with your emotions. Don’t do anything else but sit still and focus on yourself and the present moment.
Mindfulness meditation promotes better emotional regulation and self-acceptance. As you practice mindfulness, observe how you feel in the moment. If negative feelings arise, let yourself experience them. Accept the feeling and allow it to pass through you.
You may realize that although these feelings are unpleasant, they are not intolerable. This can help your fears and anxieties feel less intimidating and consuming. It can also help you remember that these feelings are only temporary.
4. Spend time outside
According to a 2019 study, spending time in nature enhances your well-being and makes you more resilient. Resilience helps you overcome fear and anxiety, allowing you to accept new experiences and opportunities.
A 2018 study showed that exercising outside can:
Spending time outside also offers physical benefits, including:
- reducing blood pressure
- stabilizing heart rate
- reducing muscle tension
- lower production of stress hormones
5. Don’t avoid things
Fear and anxiety can make you want to avoid opportunities, places, social interactions, etc. The only way to overcome fear is to face it and move forward.
Do whatever it is that scares you, even if you start small. You can do it in small doses, taking a break if it becomes too overwhelming. Keep trying and facing your fears until you feel comfortable with the situation.
6. Practice deep breathing techniques
Deep breathing can help you refocus your thoughts and release negativity. When you feel anxious, you might experience short breaths that can trigger a panic attack.
If you can do breathing techniques, it’ll help you prevent and overcome the experience. Controlling your breathing can help you calm down and relax as you work through your fear.
7. Use visualization
When something scares you, visualize yourself overcoming it and finding success. Imagine yourself completing whatever it is that makes you anxious. When you envision it, you’ll feel better about moving forward and facing the obstacles.
You can also try guided visualization, a mindfulness tool that uses your imagination to promote relaxation, motivation, self-confidence, and more.
Fear and anxiety can be hard to deal with, but you can overcome them and move forward. Mindful attitudes can help you, allowing you to release fear and live your life.
Shifting your mindset can make your feelings easier to manage, with studies showing that mindfulness improves stress and coping.
Meet fear and anxiety as they are
When negativity starts to take over your mind, shift your mindset to acceptance rather than judgment. Acknowledging your experience and learning to sit with the discomfort of fear and anxiety may allow you to see that you can tolerate more than you think and that the discomfort will eventually pass.
You can also use this form of acceptance to look at the situation from a fresh perspective. As you accept the feelings, try to think about another point of view to challenge your thoughts.
Look for the good
Things may not always go how you planned, and it can create fear and anxiety. When this happens, shift your thinking and find the good in each moment. You don’t have to love what happened to look for something positive.
Not every moment of your life can be how you wanted it to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Take the time to live with each moment and find something positive, even if it’s small. Remember, every experience comes with opportunity.
Accept you can’t control everything
You might not like every change that comes your way, but you can’t always control them. Learn to accept the changes without judgment or resistance. When you adjust to the changes as they come, you’ll experience less fear moving forward.
Let go of your desire for control and go with the flow of life. You’ll be more open to positive experiences along the way, helping you appreciate the uncontrollable changes.
Remember to accept without judgment, meaning you should try not to evaluate the situation. You can’t always find the reason for a change, and continuing to try will only increase the fearful feelings. Accept the change and embrace it as you let go of the past.
Trust yourself
When fear and anxiety take over, learn to trust yourself. Develop inner confidence that shines through the fear, allowing you to do things that challenge you.
With self-reliance and self-esteem, you’ll experience less anxiety about the future because you know you chose what’s best for you.
You can learn how to overcome fear and anxiety by learning more about the source of your fears, looking for the positive, and accepting your fears without judgment.
You don’t have to let fear and anxiety stand in your way. Each time you face your fears, you give yourself another opportunity for success and happiness.
As your situation improves, you’ll develop confidence and an increased sense of self-worth. Implement one or two tips, adding more to your routine as you become more comfortable. You can also work with a therapist to develop strategies for managing your fears and anxieties.
Source by psychcentral.com