We are all faced with various degrees of fears at some point in our lives and for others it may be an everyday battle. People experience different types of fears. They might be afraid of experiencing embarrassment, rejection, criticism or loss. And if you live in South Africa, chances are that you also experience a sense of anxiety and fear to some degree regarding uncertainty and safety. A fear of safety for yourself and your loved ones, a fear of job security, fear of raising your kids in a country full of uncertainty and even a fear of workplace bullying.
Too often the fear takes control of our minds. It takes our happiness away and clouds the good things that we cannot appreciate because we are too anxious. To deal with all the fears in your life takes a special skillset. Overcoming fear is tricky and not an easy one. W. Clement said “Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.” Consider these following points to help you overcome your own fears:
- Fear freezes you up. It sort of paralyses the brain and body to take action. When you are faced with this, the natural thing to think of is that you can’t do this right now. That you are not able to overcome this, but you can and when you try, you will see that you are able to.
- Take a breath. If you take some time to evaluate the situation and remind yourself of the true ‘weight’ that that specific fear carries, sometimes you realise that you might be overreacting a bit.
- Visualise yourself as being unafraid and be confident in yourself. Motivate yourself by reiterating how strong you are and that you can deal with anything.
- Don’t let fear steal your happiness and success. Make sure you are not in denial. Admit you have a problem that causes the fear, face and confront them immediately. Only those who face their fears actually achieve true happiness and success.
- Don’t run. Stay and fight. Although the ‘flight-or-fight’ instinct is in everyone, the sooner you identify, face and take action and address your fear, the smaller and more manageable the problem or situation is.
Eleanor Roosevelt said: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”
The Mindspa Institute Training Company specialises in skills development through: Management Training, Leadership Development, Office Professional and Secretary Training. Courses range from Anti-Bullying in the Workplace to Anger, Conflict, and also Time and Stress Management.