Methods to Overcome Fear

Fear is a biological response to crisis. You are neurologically wired to have a "fight or flight" response during threatening episodes. The word fear can stand for "forget everything and run" or "face everything and rebuild." Even positive life events, such as marriage, having children or moving to a new place, involve an element of fear. While some fear is natural and judicious, learning to overcome irrational feelings of fear will enable you to fully experience life and achieve optimal happiness.

Focus on Body

• The flight response triggered when you are fearful causes disturbing physical sensations that make it difficult to calm yourself down enough to think clearly. Try to calm yourself down by using relaxation techniques. Interrupt the cycle of fear by practicing relaxation methods such as the Jacobson technique of progressive muscle relaxation and contraction. Focus on one muscle group and contract the muscles as hard as you can for several seconds, then relax.

Focus on Thoughts

• Once you have calmed yourself down, you can begin to focus on your thoughts by asking yourself, "Is this thought logical and rational or irrational." To conquer feelings of fear, tell yourself the truth behind false negative thoughts. For example, "It is very unrealistic that everyone in the audience will laugh at me." Experiment with different positive affirmations to see which is the most effective for you. For a person afraid of public speaking effective positive affirmations may include "I am a great public speaker. However the audience reacts, I am still a worthy person and I feel confident and secure."

Integrated Approach

• Practice relaxation techniques.

  Try an approach that integrates both thought and relaxation techniques. Learn about the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which involves tapping at nine different gamut accupressure points on the body while stating positive affirmations. For example a person would tap on a spot at the inner corner of their right eyebrow while stating, "even though I am scared of public speaking I am still a completely adequate person." Another effective technique is the Benson technique, which involves focusing on deep breaths while reciting positive affirmation such as "you will be successful when giving this speech."

Face Fear

• Face your fear. If something such as riding a roller coaster has scared you in the past, the only way you are going to build positive experiences is to try the activity again. Bring a support person with you. Practice your thought and relaxation techniques. Smile. Smiling triggers positive emotions and disrupts the flight or fight response.