By Craig Upton
Fear is the limiting factor that stops us from fulfilling many of our goals and dreams. Fear of…… failing, ….of public speaking, …..of flying, ….of the unknown, ….being judged, …. losing control, ..making a commitment. There is an endless list.
Once we understand that fear is an evolutionary response designed to keep us safe, it allows us to move towards overcoming what is keeping us stuck. Without an element of caution we could unwittingly put our life in danger – so fear has it’s place but we need to learn to recognise our body’s signals then overcome them.
Fear releases our fight or flight response, flooding our body with cortisol, moving our attention and focus to our limbs, in order to flee. It puts a ‘hold’ on our other bodily functions which is why it can interfere with sleep, focus and concentration, our digestion and metabolism even leading to weight gain and lowers our immune response.
Here are some tips on overcoming fear:
Identify your fear and ‘sit with it’
A typical response is to avoid a fearful situation or distract ourself from thinking about it. When we identify what is causing that bodily response and we sit with it, imagining ourselves in the situation we are trying to avoid we identify that it is our projection into the future that creates our current bodily reactions. We have judged it, or ourselves, without even having had the experience. Fear is an emotion – energy in motion – something that passes through. However, we can become immobilised locking into the fear and life becomes stagnant. There are energy release practices such as Access Bars which can release the stuck emotion or belief freeing you to make different choices.
Create achievable goals
When you honestly lean into what you want to create in your life, you can identify if the experience that is causing the fear is really essential to achieving your overall goal. If it is, ask yourself ‘If I didn’t do X, what would my life be like in 3 years?’ Then ‘‘If I did do X, what would my life be like in 3 years?’. You are feeling into the bodily response and not your mind response. If your body feels heavy if you choose not to do the thing you are fearful of, it is an indication that you need to push through the fear. Plan achievable steps that you can take to work towards your goal. Working with a Life Coach can help to reframe your perspective and provide an accountability partner.
Visualise your goals
When you visualise your goals, and send your attention to a positive outcome, that is where the energy then flows. Through visualisation or meditation you can retraining your brain to believe that a successful outcome is possible. Successful entertainers, musician, sports stars use this practice. Start with the smaller, more manageable fears and when you have built confidence in the practice soon you will be reaching for the stars.
Craig Upton supports UK businesses by increasing sales growth using various revenue streams online. Creating strategic partnerships and keen focus to detail, Craig equips websites with the right tools to increase traffic. Craig is also the CEO of iCONQUER, a UK based company and has been working in the digital marketing arena for over a decade. A trusted SEO consultant and trainer, Craig has worked with British brands such as FT.com, DJKit, UK Property Finance, Serimax and also supported UK doctors, solicitors, builders, jewellers, to mention a few, gain more exposure online. Craig has gained a wealth of knowledge within the digital marketing space and is committed to creating new opportunities working with UK companies.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.