How to make fear your b*tch.
Fear… it’s a word that makes you feel uncomfortable right?
It’s one powerful emotion that can either paralyze us or propel us forward. Whether it’s the fear of the unknown, failure, or change, learning how to manage fear is crucial for personal growth and success.
Fun fact: Did you know there are more than 400 phobias? Everything from acrophobia (fear of heights) to Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth). Yup, that’s right folks, as crazy as it sounds that’s an actual fear.
So, how do we turn this strong emotion into our catalyst for growth?
Step 1: Acknowledge and understand your fears.
Fear is a complex emotion which we often try and run away from. There is power however in taking a step back and acknowledging why these feelings might be present. Yes, believe me — it’s an uncomfortable and sometimes messy step to take but it’s a necessary one. It puts things more into perspective sparring your mind from being one big, hot, confusing mess and tells you what the actual problem is.
For me personally I sometimes struggle with the fear of failure, whenever I get tasked with a tricky problem at work my mind jumps to the question of
What if I fail?
What if I mess up and everything goes wrong?
Whenever I have these thoughts, I acknowledge my fear and understand why I am feeling it — instead of trying to look past it. Once you have acknowledged that tight knot feeling in your belly try to get it on paper and list the possible reasons you may be feeling this way.
Step 2: Shift your perspective.
Once I’ve taken the initial step of writing my fear down and why I’m feeling this way, I already feel better having more clarity and a less anxiety ridden mind.
The next step is to shift your mindset — realizing that if I fail that failure is not what matters but it’s how you look at it which makes all the difference. I’ve realized that every time I fail at something it comes with a new opportunity to grow.
I have learned to ask myself these questions:
What can I do better next time?
What did I learn from my shortcomings?
The fear of failure is something that holds everyone back — even from trying to conquer other fears such as heights etc. But it’s one essential step that can lead to us unlocking our full potential and it’s something that shouldn’t hold you back.
Step 3: Find your why.
Try and find your purpose in overcoming this fear as this will turn into your motivation in order to make a meaningful change.
Constantly remind yourself of your reason why.
Write down all the times this fear has held you back and why you want to overcome it.
Step 4: Set clear goals.
Once you have found your why it will be easier to take small steps in your personal journey to stop this fear from holding you back.
Personally, with my fear of failure particularly in social situations. I try and put myself out there exposing myself to uncomfortable situations realizing that there is a bigger purpose in this journey.
Always make sure that you celebrate your small wins!
Thanks for reading this article! Please comment with your feedback — always looking for new ways to improve! Good luck with your journey to overcoming your fears — I hope this article helps. :)
