To Live a Fearless Life

Fear and stressful situations are very common. People have rational and irrational fears and we are afraid of many things in our lives. I fear heights, and failure.

While our emotions are valid, it is also essential to know and differentiate between rational and irrational fears and manage them properly. Irrational fears tend to isolate us and are more likely to cripple us mentally and physically.

Living fearlessly is hard and especially these days when there’s so much tragedy and loss, all around us. Almost daily, we keep on hearing news about tragedies, injustice and trauma in many forms and experience strong emotions in response. This affects our mental state and our life too.

Human nature has the natural instinct to survive, so when our fear gets triggered, it translates into mental or physical response.

Living in a chronic state of stress can take a tremendous toll on our bodies and minds. The mental state of being in fear can lead us into making poor decisions in life. Our attention span also gets affected. It gets narrower and tends to focus on finding more threats which causes anguish.

When we are afraid or fearful, we are often unable to find the right solutions and access the situation accurately. Therefore it is important to keep your fears in check and master them. Controlling your fears helps you to live a better, a happier life and gives you as well as others around you a sense of comfort and safety.

1.       Release your Emotions in a right way

Claim your negative emotions including anger and fear. Anger generally works as a defense mechanism against feeling fear. Denying negative emotions is not the right answer and if we are unable to deal with them properly, we project them onto others, which creates an unhealthy environment.

Naming, claiming and releasing your negative emotions in a safe way, is the right answer. You can talk to a close friend or a confidant about your fears, anger and frustrations which will help greatly. Keeping a journal and writing about your fears might also help.

According to research, catharsis, in which we act out our aggression, is generally not helpful as it increases our aggression and creates less safety. 

2.       Contribute in creating a safe environment

Contribute what lacks in a situation and play your role to make it better. Be a shoulder for other people when they need you. Listen to them and give solutions according to your understanding. Genuinely listening to others' problems and concerns is the half cure. Feel your positive intentions, goodwill and let others feel it too. Contribute and help in creating a safe environment.

3.   Do not Isolate Yourself

    Fear leads us to believe that we are different from others and urges us to cut off from others. When we feel threatened, we are susceptible to others’ intentions and tend to dehumanize the people we don’t connect with, or the ones we can’t relate to. This makes an unsafe environment for everyone. See the positive things between yourself and other people and focus on bonding through the common values.

4. Do NOT Overthink

Try not to think about the worst case scenario in your head. Preparing for the worst won’t help you prepare for what’s coming, but rather, it will create more anxiety and generate fear in your body and mind. Thoughts play an important role and when we see a worst possible outcome already, our mind and body start reacting to it, creating more possibilities for the worst scenario to actually happen. This also hinders our ability to make the right decision about the situation. Therefore, the best way is to think positive, even if it seems impossible and keep on hoping for good things to happen instead of bad.

5.  Find a Support Group  

 Resist the urge to isolate yourself when you feel afraid. Truth is, there are many people who feel this way, and it’s completely fine. Call a friend or get help from someone. Tell yourself how and why you should not feel fearful. Try to change your negative thoughts into positive ones. Have a group of friends who you can rely on when you feel unsafe and talk to them whenever you feel bad or afraid.

When we stop reacting from a place of fear, we give positivity and hope a chance. Give yourself this chance by managing your fears.