I'm not afraid-or am I?

Fear of the unknown

Are you afraid of the dark?

It's okay, most of us are.

But let's be honest—it's not the dark itself that we're afraid of. It's what might be in it.

The uncertainty is what makes us nervous. The fact that there could be a monster hiding under your bed or waiting for you in the shadows when you walk down the street at night is enough to keep anyone awake at night!

So how do we overcome this fear? By taking action and facing our fears head on! You'll never know if there really is a monster in your closet until you check—and if there isn't, then what have you got to lose?

Identify your fears

Fear of the unknown is such a bummer.

It's like, you're totally cool with the known—like, you know that a dog can't really read your mind and that if you fall off a bridge and land in water, you'll probably be fine. But when it comes to something new or unfamiliar, it's like your brain goes on lockdown and it's all "NOPE NOPE NOPE."

If you are struggling with fear of the unknown, there are a few things you can do to help overcome it. One approach is to seek out information and knowledge about the situation or experience you are fearful of. This can help to demystify the unknown and make it feel more manageable.

Start by identifying what specifically you are afraid of. Is it a specific situation, person, or thing? Understanding what triggers your fear can help you to work through it.

Face your fears

Face your fears, or they'll end up holding you back.

You might be afraid of heights, or spiders, or public speaking—but when you avoid these things because you're scared, they become more scary. Instead of letting your fear control your life, try getting over it once and for all by facing the thing that scares you head-on.

Take small steps towards confronting your fear. Start with something manageable—like looking at pictures of spiders or watching a video about public speaking—and gradually work your way up to bigger challenges. The more often ioyou do this, the more confident you'll feel about facing your fears in real life!

Practice to relax

I’m going to be honest: I have a really hard time sitting still. I get antsy, restless, and bored very quickly. But it turns out that this might not always be such a bad thing!

When you're feeling anxious or stressed—say, before an important meeting at work or in the lead-up to a big family gathering—your body might react by sending you into fight-or-flight mode. That means your heart starts racing, your palms start to sweat, and your thoughts become foggy.

If you're anything like me, this is when you start getting up from your desk and pacing around the room… or worse, starting a game of solitaire on your phone because it's just too hard to sit still! But what if I told you there was another way?

The good news is that fear can cause physical reactions in the body—like increased heart rate and sweating—and these reactions can be calmed with relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation. So next time you feel tense before an important meeting or event, try taking some deep breaths and concentrating on relaxing your muscles one by one until all of them are loose and relaxed!

Seek support

If you're feeling afraid, don't be. If you're feeling alone, trust me—you're not.

You may be scared of the unknown, but that's where the magic happens. You can find a way to overcome your fears by seeking support from people you trust and who will help you find new ways to manage them together.

Challenge negative thoughts

Anxiety and fear are often the result of negative thoughts and beliefs. It can be helpful to question these thoughts and beliefs, and focus on more realistic, positive ones.

This process is called cognitive restructuring. To do it, you'll want to ask yourself questions like:

How accurate is this thought? Does it really make sense? Is there any evidence to support it?

What are some other ways I could look at this situation? What would someone else say about this situation? How would an objective observer see this situation?

What am I feeling right now? What's causing me to feel this way right now? How can I take care of myself in this moment so that I don't feel anxious or afraid anymore?

Practicing mindfulness techniques such as meditation can also help reduce anxiety and fear by bringing you back into the present moment instead of letting your mind wander into the future or past where anxiety-inducing thoughts might start up again.

Be patient with yourself

Fear is a tricky little devil. It's sneaky, it's insidious, and it's never going to go away completely. But you can learn how to get a handle on it, and the best way to do that is by being patient with yourself.

Fear is going to rear its head every now and then—that's just part of being human. But what matters is how you respond when it does. And if you're like most people, your first instinct is probably to run away from the situation or person that scares you. But this isn't always the best course of action! In fact, sometimes running away from our fears only makes them stronger—and then what have we got left? Nothing but our own feelings of inadequacy and shame for not being able to handle something as simple as a little bit of fear!

The truth is that facing our fears head-on often leads us down a path toward greater success than we could have ever imagined before we took on those fears in the first place. So remember: be patient with yourself as you take on these challenges! Celebrate every small step that takes you in the right direction! And give yourself a tap on the back every time

My mission

I believe that everybody has the ability to shine, but sometimes you need a little nudge to get you into the right direction.

After working with transformation and learning for more than 2 decades, I've still not met a person who doesn't want to grow and learn new things. Resistance is natural, but resisting change is a result of bad preparation. My mission is to help people and organizations create the right conditions so that they can shine as brightly as they want to! Ready to learn more about how? Don't be a stranger—let's talk!