“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has
no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.”
We all fear something
or the other. For some it is heights, for some it is public speaking, for some
it is fear of lizards; fear of darkness for others. But most of these fears are
caused by what “might” happen rather than what can actually happen. Those who
fear snakes are afraid of getting bitten. But what they don’t understand is
unless you actually become a threat to a snake or startle it, it won’t harm
you. In fact, it will go its way. More often than not our fears act as
obstacles and prevent us from succeeding. Follow these
tips to get over your
fears:
Baby Steps
First and foremost,
you should try and analyze your fear. If you’re scared of public speaking,
think about the worst thing that could happen: people will laugh you; you will
forget your lines; what else? Once you identify that nothing too bad can happen
to you, you can start taking steps towards getting over your fear. If it’s
swimming you fear, start by using a bathtub. Then start with the shallow end of
a pool with an inflatable pool tube and take someone you trust. See for
yourself how much fun it is. But if you keep standing at the edge of the pool
fearing the worst, you will be a scared cat all your life. Don’t panic.
Breathe, calm down and face your fear. Stare it down.
Channel your thoughts
Don’t let negativity
surround you in anyway. Keep telling yourself that it is going to be okay. That
you’re going to do well. Every time you feel like you’re becoming negative,
turn it into a positive thought. Keep reinforcing the fact that is not a big
deal at all and you got this. You can do this. Visualize yourself doing
extremely well.
Focus on the task
When you’re in the
middle of it, focus on performing. Focus on the task on hand, not on things
that can wrong. If you’re batting, focus on where to hit the ball, not on the
ways you can get out. Shift your focus from the fear of failure to the idea of
success.
When nervous, think
funny
When you feel you’re
getting nervous with a racing heat and sweaty palms, think of something that always
make you laugh: like the sneezing panda or the ‘pehchan kaun’ joke or a Russell
Peter quip. Have a good laugh about it and you will forget all about being
nervous. Watch inspirational videos of how people have overcome obstacles and
won and read stories that speak of triumph.
Try again and again
If you fail once,
don’t give up and go into hiding. Try again. If the first time you bang your
scooter into a wall the first time you take it out for a ride, don’t be scared.
Get back on the vehicle immediately (given that it isn’t damaged beyond repair)
and learn to do it properly. If you give up the first time, you will always
remain scared. Don’t let fear win. Like the famous Mountain Dew ad claims:
‘There is victory beyond fear’.
