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Article Series: Self Improvement & Personal Growth
I Want A Better Life...NOW
How
To Overcome Your Fear Of The Unknown
Overcoming the fear of the unknown is a challenging
endeavor, but it can be done. If you suffer from a fear of
uncertainty, understanding what fear is, and how it affects
you, can start you on the road to conquering it.
Fear has been defined in several ways; however, the most basic
definition of fear is an emotional response based on the fact
that we're faced with something unfamiliar or impending danger.
When we experience fear, several psychological and physiological
responses take place all at the same time.
Psychological events include feeling emotionally overwhelmed,
having high levels of anxiety, and even feeling terrified.
Physiological responses include a faster heart rate, shallow
breathing, and similar effects.
Experiencing fear can greatly impact your view on life, your
confidence levels, and even the potential that you have as
an individual.
Here's an example of a situation where a woman had the crippling
fear that everything she did would result in failure:
Janice was very successful in her career and personal life.
It seemed that people were instantly drawn to her and her ideas,
but on the inside, Janice was a mess.
Every time she worked on a project, she would throw herself
into it. In the end, she would ultimately succeed, but on the
inside, she was always worried that she would fail or that
her completed project wouldn't be good enough.
For the most part, she recognized the fact that her fear was
irrational. However, Janice grew up in an abusive home. She
was physically beaten and consistently ridiculed by her father.
Regardless of what she did, it was never enough to meet his
expectations.
The result was that she grew up to become a workaholic, often
struggling to finish several things at once, and leaving very
little time for herself.
The root of her fear of failure was grounded in her childhood.
Her father harbored unrealistically high expectations and would
be mentally and physically abusive towards her when his expectations
weren't met. Once she realized this about her past, Janice
was able to ease her personal expectations and overcome her
fear.
Here are some strategies you can use to help overcome your
fear:
1.
Recognize your fears. By realizing that you're fearful,
you're more likely to get to the bottom of what the fear is.
- You may also have a fear of facing your fears. The best
way to conquer this fear is to accept the truth behind what's
causing you to experience limited happiness in life.
- You
might come to understand that you're afraid of failing
or taking chances. You may even be fearful because you
simply
don't have confidence in yourself.
- Regardless
of the issue at hand, it's important that you recognize
your fear and attempt to define what it is that makes
you terrified of the unknown. The key here is not to dwell
on your fear, but rather to understand precisely what it
is you're worried about.
2.
Determine the underlying root of your fears. How can you
identify the cause of your fears? An insightful look at your
life might reveal the answer. By recognizing what causes your
fears, it's likely you can overcome them with great success!
3.
Face your fears. Once you've accepted your fear and identified
the root cause, you're ready to conquer it! The best method
to do this is to face it head on.
- Make
a decision to purposely tackle your fears by indulging
yourself in activities that push you outside of your comfort
zone. For example, put yourself in a place where you're
safe,
yet uncomfortable, or respectfully confront someone from
your past. In the end, you'll find that you can successfully
overcome
your fears, one by one!
Overcoming your fear of the unknown is a difficult undertaking.
However, if you take the time to engage in these three steps,
you'll discover a renewed peace and happiness within your heart!
As you work to unlock the chains that bind you to your fears,
you'll enjoy a freedom that you've never felt before.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2009
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