All forms of fear are not useless. Fear makes us more focused and creates a feeling that “this is serious”. Fear makes us creative and makes us challenge ourselves – sometimes. Fear can also make us paralyzed, make us postpone things unnecessarily and trick us into giving up unnecessarily.
Do you know why you are afraid of certain things – or do you think you are afraid of them? Here are a handful of tips to learn how to get rid of your irrational fear:
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1. Acknowledge your fear
Is your fear of something justified or imagined? Find out. Get a little uncomfortable and dig into your innermost being. Acknowledge that you are afraid of something you may not be afraid of (there is no logical explanation for the fear), but accept that it exists and learn to live with it in a way that does not limit you.
2. Change your way of thinking
Every time you think “fear”, replace that word with “challenge”. What then? What happens if you confront the fear in that way every time it arises? Tell yourself that you can steer your thoughts away from things that scare you. Give yourself the power to choose your emotions and decide that you can control the emotion that you often call “fear”.
3. Just do it
It’s easier said than done, yes – but sometimes it’s also an incredibly effective way to get rid of your fears. Can you find a way to confront your fears by imagining yourself in a completely different situation? A successful British business leader was terrified of speaking in front of an audience. Still, he did it every week and felt comfortable with it. The secret? He pretended that the microphone he was talking into was a telephone and that he was only talking to a good friend – did not give a lecture in front of a packed congress hall. Can you come up with a similar trick?
4. Ask for help
Asking for help is one of the things we are most afraid of. We do not want to appear weak, inadequate and vulnerable. But asking for help is a sign of great courage – and something that can also help you get rid of other things that you are afraid of and limit yourself unnecessarily.
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5. Say no
Our fears are heard by a voice in our head that constantly reminds us that we are cowardly, weak and inadequate. This inner voice constantly nourishes our fears. The next time it starts messing around with negative things, stop abruptly – say (preferably out loud to yourself) “No! I can handle this. I do not need to listen to you