various things scare various people in this world. Some are inconsequential and pass away over time, while others are deeply rooted and stick with us forever. Fear is an integral part of the human experience since people are complex emotional beings. No two people will ever experience the same phobia, and no one can determine for sure whether or not the phobia will conquer their fear. Every single person will feel fear at some point in their lives. Now that we’ve established that, let’s explore what exactly fear is and how it impacts people.
Understanding the Neuroscience of Fear!
Fear is a natural and necessary human response to threats to our safety; it’s the basis of the “fight or flight” response. To put it another way, when we are terrified, our bodies react as if we are experiencing severe physical harm or danger. High quantities of adrenaline cause rapid heartbeat, intense sweating, and erratic bowel movements. Your body is giving you the option to either “fight” the problem and try to resolve it, or “flight” the circumstance and try to move yourself to a safe location.
There is a wide variety of fears. Hearing about a natural disaster, waiting for school, college, or health results, or losing a close friend, parent, or spouse can all elicit varying degrees of distress. Accidents and other unforeseen occurrences leave permanent marks and might paralyze you with terror. Intense pressure can also trigger phobias and other anxiety disorders. Those with which people regularly contend, such as chronic anxiety, obsessive thinking, extreme sensitivity, etc., can have devastating long-term effects on their emotional and physical well-being.
People aren’t naturally anxious or worried. It’s partially innate and partly learned by experience in the external environment. A vaccination shot at the doctor’s office, for instance, can give you the willies. You’re worried about feeling pain when the needle is inserted to give you the shot. Some fears and phobias are inborn, while others can be taught. People, places, and things that remind us of bad times in the past might inspire terror. You might have collided with a speeding truck on the highway, for instance. You probably won’t want to drive on the same road again in a few weeks.
Some of your worst phobias are probably groundless. The human brain is a marvel, and it can occasionally pull some late-night hours. Some people are easily frightened by stimuli that aren’t actually all that dangerous or that aren’t even real. People tend to take a step back and become caught up in the vortex of ‘what-ifs’ when they think something bad may happen to them. Because of this, individuals lose the ability to think clearly and succumb to the worry and depression that began with a single idea.
How to Conquer Your Fear!
1) Do What You’re Afraid To Do
‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’ is the title of a popular book written by the late Susan Jeffers. This book is highly suggested for reading. It offers helpful advice on dealing with anxiety and pressing on with one’s work. It teaches you a crucial lesson: that it is normal to feel anxious or worried about new things as you develop as a person. And it shouldn’t stop you from doing the things you know you should. Facing your fears head-on is the only way to overcome them. The reality, as terrifying as it may be, is exactly that. You have been given a precious gift of life, and it would be a waste to spend it confined by your own worries. Getting out of your comfort zone is the first step in conquering your fears and discovering the depths of this planet.
Second, desensitization techniques
Many psychologists employ this strategy in their sessions, and patients report significant improvements as a result. During systematic desensitization, a person is gradually exposed to whatever it is that causes them anxiety. If a client is afraid of spiders and other insects, the initial session will focus on such creatures. The next meeting will focus on viewing related films on YouTube or a documentary. A few weeks later, I was able to handle a live spider in my hand. Small victories like these can help a person overcome their fears and see that they don’t need to control their lives.
3) Rectify Erroneous Reasoning
Make an effort to reframe your fears. Look at it as an opportunity for growth rather than something to be avoided at all costs. The only true teacher is experience. Get out there and experience all that life has to offer. Anything goes in this category. Take some introductory swimming lessons with a teacher if you’re afraid of the water. If you’re nervous about speaking in front of an audience, taking a public speaking course can help. Nothing should be able to frighten you if you’ve made it a practice to reframe your worries in a more optimistic light.
If you fail, fail forward.
Many people are timid simply because they are afraid of falling short of expectations. As a generation, we were taught that making mistakes is unacceptable. However, in truth, this is the best possible outcome for anyone. The taste of victory is obvious. But what you learn from setbacks is more valuable than what you gain from successes. With success comes complacency, but with failure comes the motivation to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again until you succeed. Stop worrying about things like setbacks and obstacles. They might point you in the direction of something absolutely amazing that you’ll treasure forever.
If someone close to you urges you to “snap out of it,” you should smile and reassure them that you are actively striving to overcome your worries and that you will succeed.
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