Face Your Fears
Addressing Stress Where it Starts
To effectively manage fear and anxiety, it's vital to confront feared people, places, or things. Wanting to stay away from the things you dread is common. Avoidance, however, keeps you from realizing that your fears may not be as severe as you believe. Exposure is the process of facing concerns. Exposure entails gradually walking into fearful situations over and over until you feel less anxious. Being exposed is not harmful and won't exacerbate the anxiety. And eventually, your worry will inevitably decrease.
Here are tips to help you overcome stress by addressing your fears:
Write a List
Make a list of the circumstances, locations, or things you are afraid of. For instance, if you're frightened of dogs, the list might include: viewing dog images, standing opposite a park with a dog on a leash, in the same space as a dog on a leash, or a short distance away pet a dog or a puppy. If you're socially anxious, the following items can be on your list: asking a stranger a question, saying "hello" to a co-worker, engaging in small talk with a stranger at a cashier, or making a phone call to a friend.
Pause for a Moment
When you're overstressed due to fear, it's impossible to think properly. The first thing you should do is give yourself some time off to mentally and physically compose yourself.
To take your mind off your worries for fifteen minutes, you may go for a walk around the neighborhood, brew some tea, or take a relaxing bath.
Cultivate Optimism
We become aware of and recall stressful occurrences when we are afraid, which confirms our perception that the world is frightening. By consciously focusing on the good, we can try to change that. Examples of such positive things include our happiness with loved ones, the pleasure of a sunny day, the beauty of nature, the fun of an outing, and the humor in a circumstance.
According to Barbara Fredrickson's research, a positive outlook gives us a wider picture, which gives us more possibilities. Additionally, our resilience increases as we continue to practice being positive, enabling us to carry on even during trying circumstances.
Breathing Through the Panic
The best action is not to fight it if your heartbeat starts to quicken or you start to sweat your palms. Instead of attempting to divert yourself, stay put and experience the panic. Take a big breath in a while, placing the palm of your hand on your tummy.
To remove the dread of terror, the aim is to train the mind to deal with panic.
Examine the Evidence
Sometimes it is beneficial to confront fearful ideas. Ask yourself if you've ever encountered someone suffocating after becoming trapped in a lift, for instance, if you are afraid of doing so. Consider what you might say to a buddy experiencing a comparable phobia.
Why Is It Important to Face Your Fears?
Facing our fears and anxiety is very important in helping us move forward. Here is what facing fears will do to you:
- Facing fears will make you more resilient
- Fears enable us to respond appropriately to different situations
- Allows you to develop wisdom and courage
- Facing your anxiety will help you to develop compassion toward others
- Addressing fears enables us to see what is real
Facing your fear is the only way to overcome it. Avoiding our concerns doesn't help us move forward; it just makes us nervous. However, be kind to yourself and only act in ways that seem secure to you. If you realize your anxiety is increasing, pause and look for anything relaxing or consoling to see or do. You can attempt to explore your fear once more, taking breaks as necessary if it feels safe later. It's essential to keep in mind that therapists can be quite helpful in helping you work through avoidance techniques if you find it challenging to deal with persistent anxieties or anxiety on your own. Working with a therapist to establish a safe space where you may face your anxiety and reconstruct your memories is especially crucial if you have experienced trauma. Contact us today!