6 ways to loosen the grip of fear on your life now...

Reacting negatively or with anxious, scared, sad, confused and frustrated emotions is usually a result of learnt experiences. 

To learn how to protect ourselves from any sort of pain in the past, whether it be emotionally, socially or physically - with the skills we use in our childhood or younger years. If the protective mechanism at the time was successful, then we learn to continue this behaviour or thought pattern.

Although this protective 'mechanism' may have served us at the time, sometimes we can't always run away from situations or throw our arms and legs in the air having a two year old tantrum, or even hide behind our sweet Mother's legs when we are faced with things that scare us.

What we have to learn how to do is firstly understand that fear is a result of something we either experienced in the past, or haven't experienced so we start to put up our 'protective forces' just in case things go wrong.

The thing about being an adult in the big, bad world is that it is always changing. We are continuously exposed to new situations, experiences, challenges, personalities and obstacles. As humans, we naturally will form emotions as a response to any type of stimulus, but being able to acknowledge those emotions as a reaction from our mind is a really big key in being able to march on down that challenging path without wanting to vomit or melt down in a big pile of tears on your workplace floor!

Here are a few ways to try and develop this awareness of those fears starting to take hold, before you succumb to that nagging, internal voice inside your worrisome head.

6 Ways to loosen the grip of fear on your life:

11)    Be vulnerable (explore yourself, your passions, interest, fears – be open to failure and criticism).

22)    Acknowledge your fears – this is the first step in being able to release them. When you start to hear and acknowledge how your fears are sneakily working their way into your life, it is only then that you can consciously let them go as nothing more than a reaction of your emotions or a ‘storey’ that your mind has created as a way to protect itself from harm –which may have once served it, but now is no longer relative or necessary.

33)    Expose yourself to your biggest fears.

44)    Think positive. Get out there and scan the internet, read a few books or check out social media such a pintrest or Instagram – these are often gold in being able to get a few quotes, mantras or words that really reach your heart. Thinking positive has to relate to YOU, your dreams, push hard against your fears and keep you focussed in achieving the dreams or goals you set out to.

Any mantras, quotes, affirmations or visuals that you can find that relate to and reach you – print them out, take a screen shot on your phone and place them somewhere that you can see it and refer to it every day!

55)    Manage stress. When you’re stressed or fatigued, it can be really difficult to try and beat your fears or focus on your desires – particularly in the early stages when you need a little bit of conscious energy to create those positive habits. Take time out to exercise, meditate, go and sit outside in the fresh air and simply be aware of your surroundings (your environment has a very big impact on your emotions, and it certainly helps to take you away from any ‘crazy’ that is happening in your life, work or home.

66)    Practice courageous acts. I’m not saying get out there and start base jumping off cliff tops or play chicken across a busy highway – but getting out and doing one thing that makes you nervous, anxious or scared each day (or at least each week to start with), does amazing things for your confidence, self efficacy and your ability to feel as if you can trust yourself to do the things that deep down you know you always could.

Think about your noted fears and test out the theories that your ‘mind’ or ‘emotions’ has told you that you cannot do. 

I believe in you!!