Fear is a crippling emotion. It’s something that prevents us from making decisions, choices and moving forward in our lives. Fear can be nipped in the bud and can allow you to live a life worth living without the worry or pain or stress that is causes.  No matter what you might be facing that’s fearful, here are 5 tips to help you face your fears head on for good.

There is nothing to fear, except fear itself

I’m sure you’ve heard this saying many times before.  Many of us have.  The question is, do you understand what it means?  What is fear, exactly?  Is it the boogeyman in the closet or is it dreading another day at work?  Is it being afraid of presenting in front of an entire organization or afraid of losing a job?

Whatever the case may be, let’s look at it from a different perspective.  What is the worst that can happen?  The very worst? If you’re afraid of the boogeyman, you simply open the closet door to realize there is nothing there and you move on.  If it’s something to do with presenting at work, you prepare and do your best.  If you get nervous on stage, SO WHAT.  The worst is that you’ll feel embarrassed.  By the end of the presentation it will be over and your life moves on.

Regardless of any fearful situation that happens, keep this in mind; life moves on.  No one is going to be talking about how you felt embarrassed while on stage giving a presentation 30 years from now, let alone a week from now.  Fear is something we make up in our minds.  It isn’t real.  The only thing to fear is fear itself which literally means nothing at all.

Understand what you’re afraid of

Take time out to dig deep and really understand what you’re afraid of.  Is it a limiting belief?  Is it something that has been haunting you for years or something that has just recently started bothering you?  Take time to understand the root cause of your fear.  Write down your answers and reflect on them to get clarity on what is happening.

Talk about it

Whenever something is bothering me, I talk about it.  I get it off my chest and I let out what’s on my mind.  This has relieved so much confusion and has brought clarity into my life.  I used to hold things in and not talk about them for years.  My excuse was, no one would understand or no one would be able to help.  That could have been further from the truth.  Regardless if someone is able to help you or not, just expressing your feeling for someone to listen can really help you to uncover what it is you fear.  Give it a go with someone you trust.

Meditate

Meditation is a powerful tool that is sometimes overlooked.  I can’t tell you how many times meditating has helped me solve problems, overcome anxiety and feel calm as well as eliminate fear and negative thoughts.  You don’t have to be an expert or anyone special to meditate.  Anyone can do it and it can be done in as little as 5 minutes.

First, you’d want to sit in a quiet place where there are no distractions and rest your eyes. Here is a guide to teach you how to meditate properly if this is your first time or if you want a refresher.  Meditation is a powerful tool that can help you eliminate negativity, increase awareness and positive energy around you.

Breathe

Take a deep breathe and close your eyes.  Exhale and release all the stress, worry, anxiety and fear.  Don’t worry about what you can’t change.  Focus on the NOW.  Live in the moment.  We aren’t promised tomorrow.  There is no need to stress about what you can’t control.  What you do have the power to control you also have the power to overcome.  Keep that in mind and keep, keeping on.