7 Ways to Master Fear

Fear is a stumbling block for many people who wish to achieve their goals. It might cause us to become distracted and make excuses, but it doesn’t have to. One of the most liberating endeavours you can undertake is learning strategic ways on how to master fear.

It’s easy to deny that fear is influencing you and to find excuses for not doing what you’re capable of. 

Take a look at your objective, if you let fear keep you from reaching your goal, you’ve basically surrendered. 

To overcome fear, you must first recognise the fears that are holding you back. You will need to initiate further ways to master those fears.

Here are 7 ways to master fear.

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1. Recognise and accept your fear 

Fear exists to protect us. It is neither intrinsically good nor harmful. Fear is a tool that can help us make better judgments. 

Fear isn’t meant to keep us passive; rather, it’s meant to motivate us to act in ways that produce our desired outcomes. Accept fear as guidance and allow it to inform, but not control, your actions.

2. Give the fear a name 

Simply stating your fear can sometimes be enough to give you the courage to face it. Declare your fear aloud, write it down, or concentrate on it. 

When you try to ignore your fear, it becomes more intense. It shrinks when you confront it.

3. Educate yourself

Nothing scares us as much as the unknown. If your worry stems from a lack of knowledge, gather the information or knowledge you need to assess the problem objectively rather than speculatively. 

4. Prepare, rehearse, and role-play

Public speaking has long been a top fear in most countries. In many surveys, standing in front of a group and opening your mouth comes second. 

Prepare, rehearse, and role-play if your fear is tied to your performance in a certain activity.

5. Visualise yourself succeeding

Athletes may visualise completing a physical feat thousands of times before actually completing it. 

When the body moves, it is more likely to follow its pre-determined course due to this mental mapping. The same practice will help you excel in whatever endeavour you’re pursuing.

6. Acquire a sense of scale 

Is the thing you’re terrified about actually that big of a deal? We can become so engrossed in a quest’s success or failure that we lose sight of where it fits in with everything else we value. 

Consider what the worst-case scenario is. The actuality isn’t always unpleasant, but you can find that your dread is worse than anything you’re worried about happening.

7. Seek assistance 

Is what you’re terrified of something you have to face on your own? Are you able to find a mentor or a support group to assist you? Athletes work with coaches. 

Teachers are assigned to students. Friends can sometimes provide the crucial support to face your fear, even if they don’t have any knowledge of the subject you’re struggling with.

8. Be ready to change your mind

“If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again,” as the cliché says. “Insanity” is defined as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” 

If you’re frightened to attempt something again because it didn’t work the first time, figure out why it didn’t work the first time and try something new before giving up.

9. As a source of motivation, concentrate on others 

There are some things we would never do for ourselves but would do without hesitation and concern for others. 

For example, a mother may not be willing to cross a metal erected between the roofs of two skyscrapers. If we step the task up by adding a million dollars, noting that there was some wind and showers falling at the time. She will probably still not. 

What if someone was holding her child over the edge of the opposite building, and if she didn’t arrive within 10 seconds, the child would be dropped. What do you believe her response to the situation will be in such conditions?

 There is a high chance she would jump because her child’s life is at stake. 

10. Maintain a positive outlook 

In Brian Tracy’s book, ‘The Power of Self-Confidence,’ he asks “What would you do differently if you were absolutely guaranteed of success in any undertaking?”

Would you be willing to try new things? Would you continue to labour long after others have given up? People with a positive mindset succeed because they persevere while others lose up.

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