Brave Through Life: How Do You Conquer and Face Your Fears?
by Blog Contributor | July 3, 2024 | Mental Health | 0 Comments
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People are constantly reminded to be brave in life. However, things are easier said than done, and when they can be overwhelming, how do you face your fears?
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Instead, it’s the choice to recognize what one fears but still take the step to triumph over it.
This quote would be familiar to anyone who had ever encountered anything frightening for them. After all, it’s nothing foreign to seek encouragement from the words of others, from those who may have enough wisdom to be trusted and find solace.
The topic of bravery is among the top concepts that people would have sought help over.
Regardless of how brave you think you are, there is still something that would frighten you. No matter how spontaneous you may be to adventures, especially those extremely risky, you will still find something that will make your knees buckle.
When this occurs, how do you face your fears?
Why Is It Hard to Face Fear?
Fear is normal.
It’s a typical emotion that can be easily ignored, but there can also be moments when it’ll be overwhelming enough to render people motionless. It can feel pretty shameful to admit that something scares you. It’s a vulnerable situation.
However, you are not alone. Regardless of how big someone is, they will always have something they’re afraid of, triggering their fight or flight.
Fear is a universal emotion.
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It’s intrinsic for people, an instinct brought about by particular matters. It’s the body’s natural defense mechanism. But there are moments when it becomes too excessive or irrational that the body goes haywire, unable to react appropriately. Despite your best intentions, attempting to face your fears can be challenging. There will be obstacles you’d have to overcome to do so.
Although it can be challenging, this doesn’t make it impossible.
No matter how massive the hurdle is, you will always find a way to conquer what’s hindering your growth. There is always a way to triumph over it.
Such is the case in Wilma Forester’s Nagel of Ancient Babylonia storyline. The author writes about a determined young boy who doesn’t let fear swallow him despite the intensity and number of obstacles and foreign situations he’s encountered. Instead, he learns to triumph over what holds him back from winning over the adventures in life.
What Does Face Your Fears Mean?
Like what’s conveyed in Wilma’s The Adventures of Nagel, you, too, can face your fears.
Courage is a trait that’s not innate. Instead, you have to work for it. This means you would have to boldly step over limitations and comforts, expose yourself to what can be distressing, and learn how to conquer what stops you. Fear may be the body’s natural response. But you don’t have to normalize it.
Interested to read how Nagel overcomes his fears? Grab a copy of Wilma Forester’s book now!
You can embrace being scared without letting it rule over your life.
One way or another, you would have to face your fears and work on the ability to defeat what hinders your potential or what causes you anxiety. How do you do so?
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Make an action plan
What better way to face your fears than by preparing for them and making them less threatening?
Overcoming these can be challenging because they can become overwhelming. Diminish this by creating an organized plan through gradual exposure.
For instance, if you’re afraid of public speaking, you can gradually work on it by creating a step-by-step action plan. This can look like starting with writing a speech, which can progress to practicing alone or talking to a small group until you reach the part where you become comfortable talking to a crowd. This process exposes you to what you fear but through a gradual buildup.
Find humor in the situation
The opposite of fear is calmness. But there’s a better way to approach this emotion than by nonchalance. You can face your fear by proactively seeing the light in it. Humor addresses fear without dismissing it. This also makes the situation lighter and easier to confront. The moment you find a way to crack a joke about the problem, the fear will gradually dissipate.
You can face your fears by making them less intimidating. One way to do this is by making light of the situation. Humor helps elicit a separate emotion surrounding the fearful stimuli.
When To Get Help?
Despite having done these steps and more, there will still be instances when fear remains debilitating. If you feel that it has begun controlling your life, it’s time to seek help from mental health professionals. The right therapy can help you face your fears and reduce any detrimental reactions that come with them. Professionals can also teach you coping mechanisms to confront these situations.
