Fear-something that controls our life more than it should. We fear things that might happen to us – like death or illness. We fear things we have to do- undertake painful treatment, meet new people or even give a public performance. We might think that the fears are different and we may want to categories it but the gospel truth is that fears are all the same. All other fears are based on a basic fear- the fear of rejection, failure or disapproval. And then, we are scared of how to deal with these imaginary devils. This article focuses solely on educating people that fear can be understood and overcome and it requires manipulating yourself or even fighting with yourself!

Photo by Michael Haddad PA, CC0 1.0

1. Building Inner Strength and Self Confidence

Self-worth and self-confidence are major factors in the making and breaking of fears. A person with low self regard will automatically have more fears. He has such a low opinion of himself in his own eyes that he forever wonders what others might think of him or how miserably he will fail in the task given. For such people, the battle is lost even before it begins! They need to stay away from negative people who make them feel inadequate. They should set goals and strive towards boosting their self-confidence.

2. Face Your Fear

It is very important to identify and isolate your fear. If we understand and emasculate our fears it will be easier for us to seek a solution- either embrace the fear or conquer it. We have to educate ourselves about the topic and then try to get to the root cause- is it because of a preconceived notion, someone’s scary story or a terrible childhood experience?

3. Take Control and Responsibility for Your Own Life

There are people who stay at the same unpleasant job for years. There are people who stay in the same relationship even if they know it has no future. But why?  The fear of society. They are scared of being shunned by the society. But why should it be society who decides the course of your life? The only person who should control your life, make decisions for you, and take responsibility for your decisions is you and nobody else. But in this case you need to sit down and think what is best for you. Think about the worst-case scenario and plan accordingly. Make yourself responsible and accountable for your actions. Steer your own life!

4. Cherish and Nurture Friendships

The world is harsh and cruel. It will always try to bring you down and sneer at you to make you feel bad about yourself. It is here that friends and family come in handy. They are here to stand by your side like a rock, not opposite you. The will be a big strength for you in this unforgiving world. Real friends will give you hope in time of adversity and boost you when you fail. Such friendships illuminate even in the darkest of times.

5. Never Be Scared of Failure

Remember, failure is a stepping stone to success. If you are scared of it, you are moving further away from success. Learn from the failure; do not be disheartened or disappointed. Add it your list of experiences and move on. Make sure you do not let the same mistake bog you down again. There will be people who will laugh at you. But do not let that bother you. Such people do not matter in the long run and you know what, they do not go very far themselves!

6. Take Action Against Your Fear

The more you think about it, the more you will be blinded by the fear. Sitting around idle will not help. It is true that fear cannot be demolished immediately but slowly, with perseverance, even this can be overcome. For example, if you have vertigo, try going to the roofs of a few buildings, starting with low ones and moving to multi-storeyed ones. It has been proven that at times the only way of eliminating fear is trying out the job that scares you. Who knows, a few months later you might feel at home on rooftops!

Fear is intangible and solely a creation of our wild imagination. Anything psychological can be fought by building inner strength and facing the issue. Fear is not always bad; it might keep us safe at times. We can let it guide our actions but never control our lives.