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Jan 10, 2021 · Audrey Sherman Ph.D. Dysfunction Interrupted. Fear. The 7 Skills Necessary to Overcome Fear. Fear is the ultimate form of emotional baggage. Posted January 10, 2021|Reviewed by Kaja Perina....
- Overview
- Evaluate Risks
- Create an Action Plan
- Seek a Therapist
- Avoiding vs. Facing Your Fears
A little bit of fear is normal. In fact, fear helps you instinctively protect yourself from harm. Your fear might help you to recognize when you’re about to do something dangerous, and it could help you to make a safer choice.
But, you might find yourself fearful of things that aren’t actually dangerous, like public speaking. Your fear of public speaking might prevent you from advancing in your career or participating in traditions like giving a toast at your best friend's wedding.
If you really want to go on a vacation to Europe, but your fear of flying gives you pause, you might feel like your fear is stopping you from living your dream. If you find that your fear holds you back or creates bigger problems in your life, facing your fear may help you learn to better cope with the fear and ultimately overcome it.
At a Glance
Sometimes, fear comes from simply not knowing very much about the thing you fear. For example, you might be afraid of airplanes because it seems like you have heard about a lot of in-air incidents that lead to injury or death.
However, if you look into the statistics, you might learn that the probability of death on a U.S. commercial jet airline is 1 in 7 million (in comparison to 1 in 600 from smoking).
You can also learn more about what causes those bumps and jolts during turbulence on an aircraft—it’s simply the movement of air having an effect on the aircraft and, if you’re buckled in properly, poses very little threat to you.
Of course, less tangible fears, such as being afraid of public speaking, don’t necessarily have statistics to help you learn more about the risks you perceive. But you can read about other people’s successful public speaking ventures, or learn more about the successful public speaking strategies, to help you feel more confident.
The key to facing your fears is to take one small step at a time. Going too fast or doing something too scary before you are ready can backfire.
But it’s also important to keep moving forward. A moderate amount of anxiety is OK. Don’t wait for your anxiety to disappear before taking a step forward, or you may find yourself waiting for a change that isn't going to come on its own.
The best way to create an action plan is to create a fear hierarchy made up of small steps. Here’s an example of how someone might face the fear of public speaking one step at a time using a form of exposure therapy:
1.Stand in front of a mirror and give a two-minute talk.
2.Record yourself giving a talk and watch it back.
3.Practice the talk in front of a partner.
If your fears are debilitating, you aren’t having much success facing them on your own, or your fear is related to a specific health condition, like an eating disorder, social anxiety disorder, or PTSD, you can seek the help of a trusted mental health professional. If you have a specific phobia, which is a persistent, diagnosable anxiety disorder, you may not feel prepared to conquer your fears on your own.
A cognitive behavioral therapist can help desensitize you to your fears one small step at a time. Most mental health professionals are comfortable treating a variety of fears and phobias ranging from the fear of public speaking to arachnophobia.
Treatment may involve talking about the thing that scares you, practicing relaxation strategies, and managing your anxiety as you face your fears head-on. A therapist can help you go at a pace that is comfortable and healthy for you.
Fear-facing treatment may include:
•Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT involves accepting your fears in order to make them less threatening and less impactful on your life.
•Exposure therapy (immersion therapy): The underlying principle of exposure therapy is that through practice and experience, you will become more comfortable in situations that you would otherwise avoid.
While avoiding the situations you fear might make you feel better in the short term, avoidance can cause increased anxiety in the long term. When you completely avoid your fears, you teach your amygdala (the fear center in your brain) that you can't handle them.
On the contrary, gradually facing your fears, in small doses that don't overwhelm you, may help decrease anxiety "habituating" your amygdala, or letting your brain become accustomed to the fear.
According to an animal study published in the journal Science, the brain has to experience repeated exposure to fear in order to get over it. Researchers placed rodents in a small box and gave them a mild shock. Then, over a long period, they place the same rodents in a box without administering shocks. At first, the mice froze but with repeated exposure, they were able to relax.
While animal research isn't directly applicable to humans, the thought behind facing your fears aims to achieve a similar outcome.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Take time out. It’s impossible to think clearly when you’re flooded with fear or anxiety. The first thing to do is take time out so you can physically calm down.
- Breathe through panic. If you start to get a faster heartbeat or sweating palms, the best thing is not to fight it. Stay where you are and simply feel the panic without trying to distract yourself.
- Face your fears. Avoiding fears only makes them scarier. Whatever your fear, if you face it, it should start to fade. If you panic one day getting into a lift, for example, it’s best to get back into a lift the next day.
- Imagine the worst. Try imagining the worst thing that can happen – perhaps it’s panicking and having a heart attack. Then try to think yourself into having a heart attack.
Apr 8, 2022 · Tips for overcoming. Recap. Anxiety and fear are different emotional responses to a threat or perceived threat. Knowing how to recognize these emotions can help you cope. Fear and anxiety are...
- Marissa Moore
Jul 26, 2022 · 1. Make an action plan to face your fear. Facing your fears makes them less threatening the next time you deal with the situation. It can be tough to face your fears if you are emotionally...
Jun 15, 2021 · June 15, 2021 - 19 min read. Share this article. Jump to section. What are fear and anxiety? What’s the difference between fear and anxiety? The effects of fear and anxiety. Explaining concepts around fear and anxiety. 7 steps to help you overcome your fears and anxiety. How do you know if you need help?
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