Do you have fears? I have and have had many over the years. These fears have encompassed several areas. Fear of open water, open heights, new unknown places, being outside my comfort zone, rejection, change and too many others to list. I have worked on many of these phobias over the years. I have explored unknown places all over the world, started new careers, and learned to scuba dive (which was fun because my first open dive in the Gulf was the year Jaws premiered). For open heights, I jumped out of a perfectly good plane as well as climbed Kilimanjaro to look at clouds from the other side. It’s all been exciting, scary, thrilling, stressful and rewarding. After all that, do I still have fears? Yep! I have reduced some phobias and others not so much. Overall, I have learned how to cope and to overcome.
Fear plays an important role for each of us. It helps to protect us from legitimate threats. We are somewhat programmed to respond to fear from human evolution when we regularly face life and death situations. Although today our fears may be more about elevators, spiders, snakes, or public speaking, we still develop the fight, flight, or freeze response to these scenarios.
These responses affect our health. An example is the inability to relax. Think of a sound in the night that you don’t recognize. Once the body experiences the fear response, it is slow to relax because it’s preparing for what’s next.
Anxiety is another health bi-product of fear. This is often situation-based such as giving a presentation to a group which can lead to sweaty palms, a racing heart, or nausea or even panic attack. This can also create a lack of confidence. While these responses increase the adrenaline and cortisone in our system, it also can weaken the immune system. This means we are less able to fight off illnesses.
Being frightened for long periods of time can also lead to depression. Think of a person who has a phobia of water but needs to take a ferry to work each day. Heart damage is another issue for heightened fear over a long-term basis. Finally, fear can impact memory. The brain is so busy getting ready to fight or flee that it doesn’t record memories as effectively, and it often can’t concentrate on anything except the fear it is feeling.
How can we handle all this fear and what it is doing to our health?
Face your fear if you can. I have worked on this multiple times. Some of my fears are still with me, but I found that I don’t want them controlling every situation or stop doing things I want or need to do. Exposing yourself to your fears can be an effective way of overcoming this anxiety.
Exercise and relax. Exercise requires some concentration, which can take your mind off your fear and anxiety. Relaxation techniques can help you with the mental and physical feelings of fear. According to the Minded Institute, “Meditation, visualization, and focusing on breathing can help with letting go of worry and fear. The overall practice of yoga can elicit the relaxation response, allowing both the body and mind to gain a sense of calm and ease.”
Eat healthy and drink in moderation. A diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits is a healthier option than eating a lot of simple carbohydrates found in processed foods. When you eat is also important. Don’t skip meals. Doing so may cause a drop in blood sugar that causes you to feel jittery, which may worsen underlying anxiety. If you drink alcohol, remember the after-effects can make you feel even more anxious.
When you find yourself overcome by fear and worry, try to center your mind and become more anchored in the present moment. Mindfulness techniques can help you do just that. Step back and quiet the mind focused on observing the present moment without judgement. If this is your first attempt at practicing mindfulness, you might find it challenging in the beginning. By practicing this skill for a few minutes each day, over time you’ll find it easier to calm your racing mind and make your worries and fears take a back seat.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”–Theodore Roosevelt
Robin Anne Griffiths–Founder of ReChargeMe Zone * Behavioral Change Specialist * Yoga Instructor * Meditation Facilitator * Personal Trainer * Author * Speaker * Helping people on a journey for change to live a fuller and healthier life. Find out more at www.rechargemezone.com.
