“One of the effects of fear is to disturb the senses and cause things to appear other than what they are.” — Miguel de Cervantes
About 16 years ago, I was swimming in the ocean, and a wave crashed upon me, and I hit my head on something. Everything was fine until 4 a.m. when I started to throw up, and the room spun around. I thought I was going to die.
After going to urgent care, I found out that I had a bad case of vertigo. I never experienced something so scary in my life, besides giving birth to my two daughters. Fear crept up inside me, because I imagined the worst-case scenario. I had to hold my best friend’s hand because I was so debilitated.
Fear feels so real. It can cloud your mind and create hopelessness. Now I can look back and remember the words, “This too shall pass.”
Seven things to remember about fear:
• Give fear no power. Be aware of your thoughts. Your mind will create imaginations that are not true. Remind yourself to stay in the present moment.
• Remember, fear is another emotion. Emotions pass.
• Identify the specific event that caused the fear and sever the emotional ties.
• Remember, the more you hold onto fear, the more it manifests. Fear is like food — you want more.
• Be aware of the burden of your thoughts. Are you afraid because of your attachment to something? An example is an attachment to failure or success.
• Reprogram the subconscious mind using mantras, meditation or hypnosis.
• Learn to transform your fear. For example, turn your fear into gratitude.
I remember hearing that the antidote to fear is gratitude. Anthony Robbins, a noted author and life coach, says, “The antidote to fear is gratitude. The antidote to anger is gratitude. You can’t feel fear or anger while feeling gratitude at the same time.”
Sometimes when I feel fear, I say to myself, “I am so thankful for my life. I will be okay.”
Fear is a human instinct, but irrational fear is harmful to maintaining homeostasis in the human body. The mind is very powerful. However, we can train our mind to become aware of our thoughts. With this awareness and mindfulness, we can see how fear manifests and learn how to transform it.
To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. — Bertrand Russell
