Fear is something we all feel from time to time. However, for some of us, it can feel all-consuming.
There are moments when we take a step back from life and realize that we are living our life based out of our fears instead of our desires. It’s a difficult place to be, especially when those fears feel all to real to ignore.
The good news is that you don’t need to ignore your fears. It is possible to live your life from a place of love instead of fear. While it may not always be an easy path, it’s an incredibly rewarding journey to embark on.
I’m walking you through several different ways you can banish fear from your life and start living your life from a place of love instead.
1. Get close to the fear.
There are several methods to do this. Which one is best depends on you and your situation. Depending on the fear, one technique may be better than another.
Here are some ways to get close to your fears:
- Expose yourself to the fear. This is commonly known as “exposure therapy” and is truly best accomplished with a licensed counselor or therapist. It’s best for irrational/obsessive fears and to rebuild self-confidence. Essentially, whatever you are fearing is what you expose yourself to. For example, if you fear public speaking, you take a communications course in public speaking where you have to speak publicly every week. In theory, after being exposed to this fear several times, it will no longer exist because you have become confident in your abilities.
- Identify the origins of the fear. This is best for mild fears in general, whether it be about going after a lofty goal or entering a social situation. In essence, the goal is to identify where this fear stems from through a reflection of your past. For example, you could fear going after your dream job because you were fired from a similar position in the past. By identifying the origins of the fear, you take away its power by removing the mystery of the fear and re-establish a belief in your current reality and your abilities to accomplish your goals.
- Stop the fear. This is best for anxiety-based fears. The goal is to stop the fear in its tracks. This is done by not allowing the fear-based thought to complete. Instead, you say “STOP” and replace the thought with a positive reinforcement. For example, if you are fearing that your most recent bloodwork is going to show you have terminal cancer and you’ll die soon, you tell yourself “STOP”. Then, you replace that thought with the positive thought of your bloodwork coming back to show you’re the healthiest you’ve ever been. By repeatedly and consistently stopping the fear-based thoughts and replacing them with positive alternatives, you retrain your brain to believe the most plausible positive outcomes over any negative possibilities.
2. Exercise.
Exercise is a natural stress reducer. When you exercise, you’re allowing all that pent up energy to escape and go somewhere else. Cardio workouts are great for when you are feeling anxious while weight-lifting workouts are great for when you are feeling stressed.
What’s the difference? While there’s a lot of crossover, as a general observation, anxiety tends to come from an irrational place (i.e. feeling overwhelmed by potential situations) while stress tends to come from a more rational place (i.e. feeling overwhelmed by current situations).
In either situation, exercise has been shown to offer great improvement.
The good news is that you don't need to ignore your fears. It is possible to live your life from a place of love instead of fear. While it may not always be an easy path, it's an incredibly rewarding journey to embark on. Click To Tweet3. Nix certain items from your diet.
Your intestines is the second biggest house in your body for neurotransmitters. So, yes, you are literally what you eat. Your thoughts are highly influenced from your diet, or what you generally eat in a day.
Thus, things like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol can turn out to be emotional triggers for some people. Each of these can overload the senses and increase adrenaline. Try reducing, or eliminating, these three things from your day-to-day diet. It may just be the answer your anxiety.
4. Meditate.
This is great for getting to know your fear on a physical level. We all hold fear in our bodies differently. For some of us, our shoulders scrunch up to our ears. For others, we find ourselves grasping our pen so tight our hands cramp up. It’s different for everyone.
By meditating, you can focus on where you hold fear in your body. Meditation quiets the mind so we can acknowledge where we’re holding different things, whether it’s physically or mentally. Concentrate on releasing the areas in your body where you’re holding fear and learning to calm your mind.
5. Find a certified counselor.
When all is said and done, there is no article that will be better than sitting down with a licensed professional who can tailor treatment for you. You do not have to be “damaged”, “broken”, or “messed up” to seek a therapist. There is no line that you need to cross in order “qualify” for seeking counsel.
A therapist is a great person to have in your corner, no matter where you’re at in life. If you feel like fear has been a consistent part of your life, it’s well worth finding someone to, not only be your personal cheerleader, but to also guide you in the direction you want to go.
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