24 March, 2017

6 Ways to Defeat Your Fears

The world is a pretty complicated place with lots of things that can cause anxiety and panic attacks. The only way to stay healthy and take care of yourself is to develop good coping mechanisms.

Here we’ve assembled some of the tips that might help you out. Hopefully, this information will help you fight your everyday fears.

Take a time out

There’s nothing embarrassing about getting overwhelmed. The feelings of anxiety and fear are normal, albeit extremely unpleasant. The first step towards resolving a situation like this is physically removing yourself far away from whatever caused it.

Find some distractions. Personally, I go on brisk walks with my headphones. Other people enjoy drawing themselves baths or taking showers. And the British know that any situation can be made better with a cup of tea.

Use breathing techniques

Panic attacks are tricky. Once they’ve started, it’s almost impossible to prevent one from happening. Things are often aggravated by people who are afraid of the fear itself. Sweaty palms and increased heartbeat all of a sudden can throw anyone in a spin. The right thing to do here is to accept that an attack is coming and ride it out, instead of fighting it. Put a hand on your stomach, take deep breaths, and wait for it to pass.

Ways to Fight Fears

Face the fears

The fears you go out of your way to avoid only get stronger. This is why, for some people, it is better to face them head on. Don’t try to do too much, but go a step further every day. For example, if you are claustrophobic, take the elevator to one floor and increase the number of the floors later. Don’t punish yourself if things don't go according to your plan. Setbacks are more likely than not.

Imagine the worst

Try to picture the worst case scenario in your head. A particular nightmare of mine was panicking so much I’d get a heart attack. I then tried to see how exactly that would happen. I analyzed and picked at the fantasy until it lost all meaning and fell apart.

Examine the evidence

Some of our fears are more rational than others. However, almost none of them stands up to long and arduous scrutiny. Try to pick holes in your phobias with the help of cold, hard facts. It might not influence your emotional reactions at first, but the more improbable the scenario your fear feels, the less likely it is to affect you.

Go to your happy place

If you can’t get away from your trigger physically, try to go to a different place in your mind. Think about it as if you were summoning a Patronus who’ll protect you from fears. Let the feeling of safety soothe and calm you until you are ready to confront the situation.

Fears are a messy business, but in general, life is rarely perfect. Just remember to try your best every single day, and reward yourself for making progress.

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