6 Steps to overcome the fears that hold you back from success

Are you scared of something? Do you experience sweaty palms, shortness of breath, or you just want to faint when you are confronted with something? You might be experiencing fear. Our fears may come in different forms and it is rooted differently from person to person.

All of us have fears. Fear is actually inherent in us. Fear is often considered an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Fear is there to protect us, for example, we are fearful of illnesses or fire because they are dangerous for us. However, sometimes fear is triggered by something that is not tangible, that exists just in our minds and that is not rational. For example, fear for failure, fear of public speaking. These are limiting fears and are the ones that once overcome will help us be more fulfilled.

Why do you need to overcome limiting fears?

If you don’t conquer your limiting fears, they will hinder our professional and personal growth and will reduce your chance to do most of the things that you want to accomplish. Fear stops you.

Remember, that fear is just in the mind, and there are ways that we can do to overcome our fears if they are preventing you to become your best self. Overcoming your fear is essential for you to have fuller lives.

I will help you overcome your fear in these six simple steps that you can follow:

1. Identify your fear

You need to identify what are you scared of. Identifying the root cause of your fear is the first step to overcome it. If you fail to identify your fear, it will be very difficult to deal with it, that is usually what we call anxiety, we are fearful of something that we can’t identify. Once you give it a name, it becomes something manageable and you can start building a strategy to overcome it.  

2. Write it down

Take a piece of paper and write down all the things you are afraid of, describe how you feel, this will help you free up your mind. Fears are emotions and they are originated in one area of the brain called the amygdala. When you are writing you are using another part of your brain, the frontal left area, this simple fact of forcing yourself to use another part of your brain while focusing on your emotion will soften the emotion and make it less strong.

3. Use breathing techniques to calm yourself down

Controlling your breathing can keep your mind focused and in control. Take long deep breaths to calm your nerves. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth slowly and repeatedly for a few minutes. This will reduce all the physical symptoms that come with your fear (sweating,  dizziness, dry mouth, rapid breathing). Once you can think about the fear while your body it’s relaxed at the same time, you’ve conquered it, and you have the power to choose what is the next step you want to take.

4. Visualize yourself overcoming fear

Use your imagination and vividly visualize that you are currently facing what you fear the most. Visualize yourself succeeding in the situation you are afraid of. What would be the ideal situation for you? What would you do if this fear was not hindering you? Do this regularly and eventually, you will become more confident, and you will for more comfortable with it soon.

5. Deal with your fear directly

When you feel like you are no longer afraid after doing the fourth step over and over again, you can proceed with this step. It’s time to directly face your fear this time after you’ve practiced visualizing your fear for days or months. This is finally the real deal. The result of this does not matter, what is important is that you decided to take that first step. If you do not succeed for the first time, learn from the experience, keep trying and celebrate your progress.

6. Ask for help and support

You don’t have to do the whole process of overcoming your fears alone. You can always ask for the help of your friends and family so they can be by your side and encouraging you and helping you. On the other hand, you can also seek professional support.

I encourage you to try these 6 simple steps to overcome your fear If you are currently fearing something, and this fear hinders you to have a fulfilling life.

If you want to speed up the process and you want to be able to find out more tools to overcome your fears, please contact me and I will guide you and help you during all this process.

Andrea Arcusa

Executive Coach and Psychologist

www.andreaarcusa.com