Mastering Fear
Vatche Bartekian
Sing or whistle: Pick your favorite tune and sing or whistle it continuously. This is simply another way to control your breathing and calm yourself down.
Live in the "here-and-now": The following phrases can help you unwind when unpleasant thoughts enter your mind; "There's no problem I have to solve at this moment in time," and "The most important thing I can experience at this moment in time is relaxation." Saying these phrases aloud will force you to concentrate on the tasks at hand and sway your mind from focusing on things in the future that may never occur.
Think positive: Reviewing a past success, particularly before a presentation or a meeting with your boss, is an excellent way to eradicate the butterflies. You become instantly reminded that you've achieved great things before, and there's no reason why you shouldn't achieve them again.
Again, repeat these phrases to yourself, "I can handle this" or "I know more about this than anyone here". It pulls you away from the animal reflex to stress (the quick breathing and cold hands), and toward the reasoned response, the intellect. The result? You calm down.
Food and fear: Eat something simple like toast with orange juice or some carrots. It's hard to be afraid when one is eating, and it's especially hard to be in fear when the sugar and other nutrients from whatever you are eating enter your bloodstream.
It's not just a coincidence that people in fear like to eat. Metabolized food is energizing, refreshing, and calming. There's the obvious problem, however, of possible excess, but we'll leave that for another article.
Talk to yourself: This is the part where you "fall in love" with fear. Tell yourself some extremely basic facts about fear, life and your present situation. Here are some suggestions as to what you should talk about;
I- When you are in fear about things that you do not have now, especially money, property and prestige, think about what you do have: a wonderful family, a loving dog, caring friends, interesting work, and brilliant lively parents. The list goes on and on and every point wipes away some fear.
II- Remember and tell yourself that there is no profit in fear, no pleasure in fear and no wisdom in fear.
III- When you are in fear that your life has been wasted, make a list of every good thing you've ever done and then allow yourself to feel proud about them.
IV- Always tell yourself that you are the master of your own body and mind. Only you can control fear and make it your slave. Never become a slave to your own fears, especially when they begin to hurt others like your family or friends.
V- Get plenty of rest. It's almost impossible to feel secure when you're exhausted or frightened.
Try these simple suggestions. Considering that the alternative is being controlled by your fears, I definitely think that these ideas are worth a try. Good luck!
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