Are you a hostage to fear, anxiety or panic attacks? Do you feel like a victim to fear, a prisoner for feeling weak and frightened? Feeling like you don’t have a life and isolated from your friends. The good news is you can claim back control over your life and recognise you can live it to the full.
1. Fear is not the enemy.
Fear can be either healthy or pathological. Healthy fear is a critical physiological reaction which induces our fight or flight instinct. For example when faced with danger, changes take place in your body. Adrenaline and other hormones cause increased breathing and your heart rates quickens. Your blood pressure rises, muscles can tense and blood is redirected to your arms and legs. Your brain is now prepared to fight or flee from the danger. Once out of danger all these physiological changes return to normal.
When your fear is triggered by harmless events, or unknown causes it becomes pathological. This fear is now destroying your life instead of its original intention of saving it.
2. Consider what your fear is linked to.
Is your fear linked to an unpleasant experience, or it could be the result of lack of self-worth, which you may not consciously realise.
In the case of lack of self-worth, you might spend hours replaying mistakes you have made, worrying about what other people think of you, and don’t believe in your abilities and the decisions that you make. You just feel you aren’t good enough. This causes you to feel stressed, cornered, overwhelmed and lack the ability to cope.
Recognising your own worth and qualities is key to overriding your negative thoughts. Only when you start to believe in yourself will you start to combat this fear. By starting on this journey you will steadily find others believe in you too. Think about having a positive affirmation that you say to yourself daily, like “I am a worthy person” or “I am in control of my life”.
3. Start self-healing.
Once deciding to take control of your life and not let fear control you, you will start to gain trust in yourself and your abilities. You can start to think about planning for the future, build up your confidence and self-belief one day at a time.
When the fear attempt to take control, imagine how you might combat it like ‘slaying the beast’. Keep at the forefront of your mind you want and deserve to enjoy life. If fear keeps raising its ugly head too often, stop and take stock. Worrying about fear and thinking about it is likely to make your fearful thoughts multiply. Focus your thoughts on what you want instead as soon as you feel the fear rising. Think of feeling calm, relaxed and confident, and even imagine yourself on a wonderful beach in the sunshine. Remember your brain will give you what you focus on, so focus on something positive. Try it right now.
Living a life without fear is one of being fully empowered, happy, fulfilled and complete.
If you are struggling to achieve a life that is not crippling you with fear or anxiety, and need some help call Helen Dos Santos on 07730 920010 or email helen@horizonscoaching.co.uk. A free, no obligation consultation can be arranged.
