Fears help you develop resilience. Resilience comes from facing your fears. You become better than your surroundings and transform yourself above the fear and into bigger and bigger success. Resiliience starts with you, and it begins in your mind.
Facing your fears is healthy most of the time. But there may be situations where dealing with fear may put you in danger or cause harm to you or someone else. Such as feeling fearful of walking alone at night. In that case, avoiding what causes fear may be ideal.
Telch: Most people without anxiety disorders cope with periodic feelings of fear and panic just fine. However, people who cope with anxiety or panic by avoiding what they fear altogether have a much greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. Avoiding the object of fear actually increases fear of the object.
The process of facing fears is called EXPOSURE. Exposure involves gradually and repeatedly going into feared situations until you feel less anxious. Exposure is not dangerous and will not make the fear worse. And after a while, your anxiety will naturally lessen.
When you force yourself to face any fear-inducing situation in your life, your self-esteem goes up, your self-respect increases, and your sense of personal pride grows. You eventually reach the point in life where you are not afraid of anything.
Fear weakens our immune system and can cause cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome, and decreased fertility. It can lead to accelerated ageing and even premature death.
Take time out. It's impossible to think clearly when you're flooded with fear or anxiety. The first thing to do is take time out so you can physically calm down. Distract yourself from the worry for 15 minutes by walking around the block, making a cup of tea or having a bath.
Fear is experienced in your mind, but it triggers a strong physical reaction in your body. As soon as you recognize fear, your amygdala (small organ in the middle of your brain) goes to work. It alerts your nervous system, which sets your body's fear response into motion.
The best way to conquer a fear is to face it head on, but it's important to do so in a healthy manner that helps you move past the fear rather than in a way that traumatizes you.
When our eyes open wider – as they do in fear – the researchers say this increases sensitivity and expands our field of vision to identify surrounding danger. Alternatively, when our eyes narrow in disgust, this blocks light and sharpens focus to determine the source of our displeasure.
As we age, we produce much less adrenaline, which can cause racing hearts and dizziness. This means the intense fears we may have experienced in youth no longer trouble us as much. However, older people often experience a greater sense of vulnerability, so things like heights or big crowds become more of an issue.
For people in recovery, fear can have a major impact on one's life. Sometimes, without even noticing, fear can be a significant factor in decision-making or even be controlling one's life altogether. Fear affects happiness and can cause people to make decisions that they wouldn't otherwise make.
The more often the stress response is activated, the more often we can feel afraid. Many people experience a heightened sense of danger and fear when they are stressed. Feeling afraid all the time is a common consequence of frequent stress responses. Anxiety also activates the stress response.
Fear starts in the part of the brain called the amygdala. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “A threat stimulus, such as the sight of a predator, triggers a fear response in the amygdala, which activates areas involved in preparation for motor functions involved in fight or flight.
Fear makes us resilient.
“Resilient people accept their fears, and that builds strength to embrace, overcome and harness fear.” When you focus your fearful experiences as sources of personal strength, it can help you learn strategies that can build resilience.
The Benefits of Facing Your Fear
Self-doubt, which holds you back in life, is not a burden you have to constantly carry around. Through consistent exposure to situations you fear, and which you habitually avoid, you can build self-respect and confidence.
That resentment can manifest in many ways, depression and anxiety being two of the most likely. By refusing to face your fears, you may be dooming yourself to a life that you don't find fun or interesting, and even start to hate yourself for what you become.
The problem arises when you look for ways to hide it. This not just puts pressure on you to be something that you aren't, but it can also have a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. And trust us, hiding your anxiety is never going to be a solution for anything. In fact, it works better the other way around.
There are only five basic fears, out of which almost all of our other so-called fears are manufactured. These fears include extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death.
Chronic stress and anxiety can lead to structural degeneration and decreased functionality of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. This can increase the risk for psychiatric disorders, including depression and dementia.
You can beat fear; you just need to train yourself. The process of overcoming a fear memory is known as fear extinction. Fear extinction involves creating a new response to the fear-causing stimulus, meaning making positive associations with the thing that freaked you out.
Relaxation: Practicing yoga, or trying meditation, breathing, massage, and relaxation techniques can help a person cope with anxiety. Diet: Eating a well-balanced diet with regular meals and healthy snacks will keep the body healthy. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine can also reduce anxiety.