9 Ways To Combat Fear

Fear gets to the best of us, whether it is fear of failure, fear of success or even fear of fear. All of
us have experienced fear at some point in our lives and it can be a real stumbling block that
holds us back from being truly successful.
Fear can’t hold you back forever, if you don’t let it. There are several ways to overcome fear,
here are my top 9:

1. SEPARATE REALITY FROM PERCEPTION
   Ask yourself what is really going on, locate the facts and place them over your feelings.
2. IDENTIFY THE TRIGGER
   Figure out what it is in a situation that triggers you. Learning to identify it will help you learn to
   combat it.
3. KNOW WHERE FEAR LIVES IN YOUR BODY
   A lot of times, fear takes over physically. It affects different people different ways. Identify if/how
   it affects your physical body and do the work to take care of your body. Ex: if you hold stress in
   your back, you can learn stretches, foam rolling, etc. to avoid the pain.
4. PRACTICE GRATITUDE
   Everyday, list out 1-3 things you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, gratitude
   helps shift the mind into a positive light, which overtime, overcomes fear.
5. LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE
   Monitor your inner conversations. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself. Speak
   positively to yourself and remind yourself of your strengths.
6. CREATE A NEW ASSOCIATION
   Remind yourself that the feeling and the moment will pass. Focus on the positive outcome of the
   situation, rather than the scary in-between.
7. LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL
   Perception is a very powerful thing, and how you feel about your situation dictates how you
   respond. So think positively and you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success. This won’t
   happen overnight; practice with just one thought. What is one recurring negative/fearful thought
   you have? Work on reversing this one thought. Overtime, this will become a habit.
8. PRACTICE BREATHING EXERCISES
   Breathing helps center your body; when you stop breathing, your heart stops beating. You can
   do a grounding exercise, or even just take 5 deep, long breaths at any point to calm and center
   yourself. It is best to start your day with this, but feel free to practice all day long.
9. CREATE A SAFE SPACE
   When you feel safe and secure, there is no room for fear. Find somewhere safe you can retreat
   to when ill feelings begin- whether this is a real place such as your bedroom, or a place in your
   mind such as the beach. This sense of comfort will soothe you and allow you to face your fear. Please keep in mind, these are just 9 strategies, not everything works for everyone. But this is a
   place to start. Start implementing these techniques into your life and don’t let fear hold you back
   from reaching your goals and your highest potential this year!