We fear the unpredictable, the unknown, the randomness. We fear losing a loved one. We fear a dead end job. We fear change, disruption and turbulence. We fear failure. We fear a life without meaning.
Fear can suck the life out of us and it doesn’t have to be true or rational to make us fear something. More often than not fear is fueled by a mind that is overthinking and gets stuck in a vicious cycle. Fear debilitates us during the day and keeps us up at night.
Fear is an emotion that is extremely useful when we are in danger. It has a purpose and is there to keep us safe. However, in our modern day society fear is a lot more irrational and arises when we pick up a trigger from the external world. Fear holds us back, keeps us from doing the things we’d love to do, stops us from taking risks and keeps us stuck in a job or relationship that is no longer good for us.
The good news is that fear, just like any other emotion, is something we can do something about. Fear is something we can overcome, or more to the point, it is something we have to overcome, otherwise fear will overpower us and paralyze us.
Here are our TOP 10 tips to learn how to break free from fear and anxiety.
#1 Face Fear, Don’t Run from It
One of the best ways to break free from fear is to face it head on and not run away from it. Keep in mind, fear has no control over us unless we allow it. You can compare it to walking into a dark room and turning on the light. Immediately the darkness is gone. The same applies to fear. Face your fear with a laser beam and watch it disappear. For a lot of us, fear is deeply embedded, so it will take a while for it to completely disappear, but if you keep looking at it, it will disappear over time. Be willing to be aware of your fear. Be willing to observe it. Be willing to face it head on and fear will disappear.
#2 Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Our ego creates fear to keep us small. It creates fear of rejection, fear of humiliation, fear of losing something, fear of making mistakes, fear of the unknown. The list is endless. And while everybody fears something, what separates those who are successful in life and those who let fear hold them back is their willingness to act despite of fear. The best way to break free from fear is to walk directly into it. Sure, it takes courage, but walking into fear is never as bad as we imagine and once we walk into it, we will find that it is incredibly liberating.
#3 Move Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Most people avoid being uncomfortable at any cost. But if you want to get to the next level in life, you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yes, it will be a little bit scary at first, but the truth is, it’s not going to kill you. The big question is: Are you willing to accept short-term discomfort for long-term success and happiness. If you are willing to move beyond your comfort zone, opportunities, happiness and success will show up.
#4 Take Decisive Action
You cannot wish for fear to magically disappear. You have to take decisive action. You are responsible for the choices you make in your life and while self-doubt can make us question our decisions and stop us from taking action it will only lead to one thing… self-sabotage. Make the decision to break free from fear and once you make that decision, commit to doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Take decisive and bold action towards overcoming fear and say yes to opportunities and possibilities that come your way. Once you start taking massive action, your life will never be the same.
#5 Move Your Body
When fear creeps in we start to overthink it immediately and get caught up in a negative downward spiral. However, if we move our body, we can quiet our mind. Keep the blood flowing and flood your body with endorphins and with that you get out of your head and into your body and can avoid that self-sabotaging chatter of your head. Choose whatever works best for you whether that’s going to the gym, taking a yoga class, going for a run or simply taking a walk in the park. Move your body to change your thoughts.
#6 Ask for and Accept Help
Asking for help is difficult for a lot of people because it means that they don’t know what they are doing. But reality is that the most successful people in life know that they don’t have all the answers. You may have an idea, but it’s much easier and more productive to find the solution with the help of a team. Develop the courage to ask for help and don’t let fear of rejection stop you because we can all use some help from time to time. And with the help of others, you can create incredible momentum to climb any hurdles, gain new perspective and manage to break free from your fears.
#7 Practice Positivity
Learn to appreciate life and dwell on the positive. Try to avoid negative distractions, illusions, media and people as much as you can and set an intention to practice positivity. Start in the morning by envisioning the best possible day instead of staying stuck in negativity and fear. Dust yourself off and seize the day. It is also a great idea to incorporate a gratitude practice that helps you to stay positive by counting your blessings rather than focusing on fear and negativity.
#8 Slow Down Your Breath
When you feel fear and panic set in, your breathing becomes shallow and your heart starts to beat faster. Your body starts to stiffen and it almost feels like you become frozen in a way. To get out of this physiological response to fear, you need more oxygen to calm your body down and get the energy flowing again and one of the easiest and quickest ways to achieve that is by slowing down your breath. Take a few deep, slow, rhythmic breaths and put your attention to your breath. You can even let out a sound or sigh when you exhale. This starts to break the fearful emotions, feelings and thoughts and you can start on breaking free from fear with a much calmer, more relaxed mind.
#9 Take a Walk in Nature
Nature has magical powers and can shift your attention from fear to possibility. Take a walk or run in nature, breathe deeply and focus on what you see, hear and feel. Feel the wind in your hair and the warmth of the sun on your skin. Hear the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the birds chirping. See the colors of the trees, flowers and animals. Keep your focus on the beauty of nature and whenever you find yourself going back to fearful thoughts, bring your attention back to nature. The combination of movement, breath and nature will help you to find inspiration and solutions.
#10 Don’t Focus on the Outcome
Most people focus on the outcome and are afraid that the outcome isn’t going to be exactly what they want it to be and with that they give in to fear and don’t even start or take chances. Keep in mind, the outcome doesn’t define who you are and often the outcome is out of your control. Instead of focusing on the outcome, focus on your thoughts and actions and break free from fear.
Fear does serve a purpose, so you don’t want to ignore it but rather analyze it critically and then start to take steps towards overcoming it. Keep in mind, it is possible to learn how to break free from fear and with that continue your life and your passion with a sense of freedom and fulfillment.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T AFRAID?
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked