Tackling one's Fears

 

Tackling one’s Fears

The first step in tackling one’s fears is accepting them. Once we know what we are afraid of and recognise that we are afraid of something such as an animal, insect, person, object, activity or situation, we are in a position to overcome that fear. Fear is nothing but the natural, emotional and instinctive response to a perceived or imaginary threat.

One can recognise one’s fears by practicing mindfulness and become aware of them through self-examination. As we become mindful, we notice how they arise and how they are activated, this in turn teaches us the manner in which we should respond to them and thus break the habit of thinking associated with that fear. When we find our self in a fearful situation, we can either let our emotions get the better of ourselves or remain in control and let the emotions play out their movements without affecting us.

Our fears are usually thoughts which either dwell in the past or project themselves into the future. These fears are either irrational or imaginary and we can learn to deal with them practically through awareness, attention, maturity and understanding by practicing living in the present moment which is grounded in reality.

Another way you can tackle your fears is through visualisation. We can conjure up images of our worst fears in our minds and also mentally confront those fears courageously and learn new responses to deal with them which make us emerge as winners over the fear. We can dissolve our fears by the power of our own thoughts and images.

You can let go of your fears through the practice of detachment. Everything that you hold on to is an attachment – your likes-dislikes, your faith, your prejudice, your anxiety, your fears, your love, your anger, your envy, and so on which are nothing but different manifestations of the same attachment that has become so much a part of your own consciousness that you are now a part of an existence in which you are not what you are and you do not know who you are. When you overcome this attachment, when you learn not to hold on to things, you become free not only from your fears but from everything. But these are piecemeal solutions. It is like trying to chip away a huge mountain with a little hammer. The permanent solution comes when you pay attention to all your attachments and deal with them comprehensively through a spiritual solution, by seeking an enlightened Guru and following his path of wisdom, light and detachment through the regular practice of meditation.