Working With Fear: a 4 Step Exercise.
Have you ever noticed that when you are in a really good mood, when everything seems to be going your way and all is taken care of, all of a sudden you hear, read, see or remember something that makes you forget it all and place your right back into fear?!
Seemingly out of nowhere, you are knocked out of alignment and right back to dealing with your dramas, worries and anxiety, wondering if your fearful thoughts are real after all, since they keep coming up, over and over.
Having gone through this cycle many, many, many times, I have come to realise that we can’t fear fear, we need to reframe it.
As fear will always be there, even when life is good, we need to find a more sustainable way to work with it rather than avoiding it or pretending it’s not there. So why not use it as an opportunity for growth?
I wanted to share with you 4 steps I use that has helped when fear creeps in uninvited:
Noticing: where was this coming from? How does it make me feel? Allowing yourself to feel the fear will make it pass easier.
Accepting: name the emotion, thank it for showing you what you don’t want to feel and for keeping you safe. The let it go so it can come back if and when you really need it, but not now.
Decide: make your choice to find another emotion. What would you rather want to feel? You always have a choice and you are always at cause for how you feel, so what do you want to feel right now? Once you have it, really tune into it and keep tuning in until the fear passes.
Celebrate: you just made a massive commitment to yourself and your wellbeing, by choosing to intentionally shift from one state to another!! Give yourself a high-five and show yourself some love!
Fear can be a powerful thing. But it’s also necessary. Fear, like all your other emotions, are an indicator of what you feel. So when we are working with our fears, the goal is not to never feel afraid again, rather it’s to learn how to live side by side with our fear. The goal is to identify and change the conversation that’s taking place inside your head, so whatever you are afraid of, your fears don’t need to be what drives your choices and actions.
Somewhere behind fear lies your courage. And with courage you can do the things you are afraid of. When you do, you allow true magic to be created! All you need to do is make your choice.