9 Ways To Combat Fear

Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success, or even fear of fear. All of us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real roadblock that holds us back from being truly successful.

Fear can’t hold you back forever if you don’t let it. There are several ways to overcome fear, here are my top 9:

1. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER

Figure out what it is in a situation that triggers you. Is it something that’s outright obvious, or is there an underlying issue that holds you back? Learning to identify what exactly you’re fearful of will help you learn to combat it.

2. SEPARATE REALITY FROM PERCEPTION

Ask yourself what is really going on: locate the facts and place them over your feelings. The human mind is not very intelligent. If you tell your mind something, it’s going to find all the evidence in the world for why it’s true, despite any kind of reality. Our perception isn’t always the truth. That’s why this is such an important step when working to overcome our fears.

3. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY

Emotions often have a strong physical presence in our bodies: especially fear. It affects different people in different ways. Identify how it affects your body physically and do the work to take care of your body. For example, often times fear causes tension in one’s jaw or back. Acknowledging these physical symptoms can help you take care of them. You can try relaxation techniques, learn stretches, foam roll, etc. to ease the pain and take care of your body.

4. PRACTICE GRATITUDE

Every day, list out 1-3 things you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. Gratitude helps shift the mind into a positive light, which overtime, overcomes fear. We are all energetic beings - and the energetic vibration of gratitude is one of the highest and purest vibrations available to us. Practicing gratitude allows us to think more about what we have instead of focusing on what we lack.

5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

Monitor your inner conversations and follow the platinum rule (my personal favorite): If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself. Be kind to yourself and remind yourself of your strengths. Start looking at “failures” or “roadblocks” as learning opportunities and see how your mindset shifts.

6. CREATE A NEW ASSOCIATION

Remind yourself that the feeling and the moment will pass. Focus on the positive outcome of the situation, rather than the scary in between. Then when it’s over, reward yourself for getting through it. This could be you acknowledging your accomplishment by congratulating yourself, or it could mean you treat yourself to a spa day! Do whatever makes it meaningful and worthwhile for you. Telling yourself you’ll reward yourself after getting through the situation will also help you see the light at the end of the scary tunnel. Often times, you’ll look back and realize the scary situation wasn’t all that bad! This will set you up to be less fearful for when another similar situation arises.

7. LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL

Perception is a very powerful thing, and how you feel about your situation dictates how you respond. So, think positively and you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success. This won’t happen overnight; practice with just one thought. What is one recurring negative/fearful thought you have? Work on reframing this one thought. Overtime, this will become a habit.

8. PRACTICE BREATHING EXERCISES

Breathing helps center your body; when you stop breathing, your heart stops beating. You can do a grounding exercise, or even just take 5 deep, long breaths at any point to calm and center yourself. It is best to start your day with this, but feel free to practice all throughout the day.

Here are two simple exercises you can do anywhere:

1. *Inhale in* “breathe in calm” - *exhale out* “breathe out stress”

2. Identify five things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can

hear, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste. This is an excellent

grounding technique that helps keep you in the present moment.

9. CREATE A SAFE SPACE

When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear. Find somewhere safe you can retreat to when ill feelings begin- whether this is a real place such as your bedroom, or a place in your mind, like the beach. This sense of comfort will soothe you and allow you to face your fear with more ease.

Please keep in mind, these are just 9 strategies, not everything works for everyone. But this is a good place to start and begin exploring. Start implementing these techniques into your life and don’t let fear hold you back from reaching your goals and stepping into your highest vibing self!