How to overcome fear. Techniques to help in stressful situations. How to overcome fear? Advice from a psychologist

Fear is a natural reaction of the human body. The struggle with it begins only at the moment when the nature of the manifestation of such a state begins to be colored by obsession and brings changes to everyday life.

The general definition of fear in psychology comes from the emotional realm and describes a negatively colored state. There are several approaches that describe how to overcome fear. The choice depends on the individual characteristics of the person.

Practice #1. The collapse of negative emotions

The cause of all fears is one and lies in the difference in the potentials of psychoenergetics.

There are two main types of fear: fixed and abstract. The remaining tens and hundreds are just varieties.

Based on the above provisions, the fight against fear requires the construction of a special map. A personal fear map allows you to determine the territory of the enemy and designate techniques for expelling him.

This technique is similar to building a family tree, but instead of relatives, the chronology of the development of fear is indicated. The root of the tree is the cause of fear. The branches of the tree are the development of fear associated with experiences associated with the object of fear.

Once the fear schema is more or less clear, it's time to practice. The existing algorithm must be performed consistently and strictly following the instructions, otherwise the technique will not work.

It is important to fulfill a number of conditions:

the proposed set of exercises is performed for 2 weeks (at least);
all steps are performed in full and at the same time;
class starts half an hour after eating;
immediately before the start of classes, you must drink 1 glass of plain water;
palms should be warm, dry;
you can not cross your legs;
The effectiveness of exercise increases if the muscles are in a state of fatigue.

Basic steps:

take a comfortable position - stand up or sit down, and relax;
think about something pleasant, positive;
to smile;
breathing should be slow, calm, deep;
take 12 slow breaths and exhalations;
concentration on the palms;
feeling of warmth and heaviness of the palms, their mental representation;
pronunciation of the phrase: “I feel good and calm”;
understanding of what is inherent in the phrase;
smile while speaking;
pronunciation can last for several minutes, but the time is not specifically recorded;
say mentally, but with feeling: “So be it!” and clap your hands loudly.

After the above exercise has been established for 14 days, a simple technique can be used.

So, at the moment when an anxious sensation begins to rise, it is necessary to present it in the form soap bubble. The image is mentally fixed at chest level, approximately 1 meter from the body, and they say: “All this is nonsense! Everything is great! Eh!" and clap their hands, breaking a soap bubble.

Practice number 2. Breath of courage

Effective for dealing with fears breathing exercises. Their use is especially successful for fear of heights and darkness.

A simple technique called "Inhale Courage and Exhale Fear":

starting position - sitting on a chair or on the floor, as it is more convenient;
the back is straightened;
breathing free;
each breath is an inhalation of courage, fearlessness, and an exhalation is a liberation from fear;
exercise time is not limited.

Any breathing exercises are performed in a calm environment, preferably in the morning.

Practice number 3. Unsightly image

This practice is based on the work of the imagination. It is enough to imagine your fear in the form of an object or image that does not exist in reality. In this case, the imagination should not be limited, but the use of all kinds of colors and some sarcasm will only benefit.

This technique works great with the fear of death, when her image is eccentric and ridiculous. Giving a new unusual image to your fear will already soften the perception, make it less frightening.

Practice number 4. Face to face

Facing fear face to face is a powerful technique. Avoiding the object of your phobia only aggravates the situation, and the obsessive state only becomes stronger.

This technique is especially effective when it comes to fear that causes self-doubt. Not everyone can use decisiveness and arm themselves with the energy of oneself, but in this way one can easily cope with a negative phenomenon.

"Go to fear - and he will retreat!". To overcome fear means to overcome yourself!

Practice number 5. What's in a name

There are cases when people managed to overcome their fears by changing their first or last name. By changing them, people changed their outlook on life, set new goals and forgot about old problems.

Moreover, it is not necessary to perform all the manipulations to replace documents. You can do much easier and come up with a new name exclusively "for personal use", something like a pseudonym, and start living from scratch.

You need to fall in love with this name and use it at the subconscious level in different life situations.

Practice number 6. Physical education attack

Physical activity and physical activity work wonders. By burning excess adrenaline, they reduce feelings of anxiety and eliminate fears.

Whenever possible, it is necessary to move, and not refer to laziness and fatigue. It's not just about grueling hours of training in the gym. Enough walking, jogging, morning exercises or highlighting a specific set of exercises.

Practice number 7. We accept and release

In some cases, you can overcome your fear by accepting it. As soon as a person realizes his fear and admits that he is really afraid of something, then the problem disappears on its own.

Darov's technique

In V. Darov's approach, fear is viewed as a certain system generated by the human mind.

As a result of such reasoning, V. Darov came to the conclusion that the only sure way to get rid of fears is to suppress them. To drown out fear means to enter the territory familiar to oneself.

You can learn to overcome fear if you own two factors - knowledge and action. These positions combine the sensual and physical components of a person.

Those who are able to determine the characteristics of temperament and isolate the anchors of their fear can easily cope with their fears.

The ability to control fear directly depends on the properties nervous system person. Anchors of fear are those points in the human body, due to which a direct and feedback connection is formed in a state of phobia.

So, victory over fear is a path consisting of 6 steps:

Take the test and find out the position: auditory, visual or kinesthetic.
Determine the type of temperament: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic or melancholic.
Recall and write down your childhood fears.
Make a list of your adult fears.
Record the sensations experienced during fear and attribute them to a specific area: abdomen, chest or throat.
Analyze the degree of tightness.

Clamped areas form entire zones, which subsequently disrupt metabolic processes in organs and systems. Thus, unconquered fear leads to the development of diseases, psychosomatic disorders occur.

to recognize fear means to take the first step towards victory over it;
arm yourself with as much information as possible about the object of fear;
realize that fear is a natural reaction of the body, which has a number of positive functions;
transform each negative manifestation associated with fear into a positive direction;
to expand the range of their interests, especially in the field of physical activity.

Every person experiences fears of one kind or another throughout their lives. They can be a natural reaction, or they can take pathological forms. In any case, knowledge of how to overcome fears and depression on your own is necessary.

Eliminating fear is not an easy topic. It is important not to overdo it here, otherwise the effect may be reversed, and a small problem may take the pathological form of obsession, phobia.

Video: The expert speaks

It is possible to cope with a phobia on your own, but it is better to consult a psychotherapist. The main thing is not to let this process take its course and not try to avoid solving the problem. In order to overcome your fear, you should realize that in most cases all phobias are groundless and meaningless. It is important to learn to believe in yourself and your strengths, to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. In order to think less about a phobia, you should devote a lot of time to your favorite pastime, hobby.

You can try to face your fear. However, not everyone will be able to overpower themselves and use such a radical method. During a panic attack, you should breathe properly, be able to relax the muscles of your face and body, think about positive things. To get rid of fears, one should not resort to drinking alcohol, drugs or coffee, as this will only lead to excitation of the nervous system.

Show all

General concept of pathology

Obsessive fears are distinguished by the fact that a person understands the meaninglessness of the phobia, but continues to be afraid. This phenomenon most often occurs in childhood and can haunt a person for life.

There are several hundred obsessive fears. Among them are the fear of heights, society, spiders, enclosed spaces, diseases, intimate relationships, communication and others. Such phobias are often uncontrollable and bring a lot of problems to a person, as this makes it difficult to establish personal life, get a job, communicate with friends and relatives.

Phobias can be classified based on the situation, specific object, age, symptoms, sex of the person. To date, scientists distinguish 4 groups of main phobias:

1. Zoophobias are fears that are associated with flora and fauna.
2. Social phobias involve the fear of everything that a person faces every day.
3. Agoraphobia - fear of open space. It can be doors, windows.
4. Fears that cannot be attributed to the previous categories. These include health-related phobias, fear of the dark, closed spaces, and many others.

Signs of obsessive fears

Phobias can be easily recognized by the following symptoms:

Feeling of difficulty in breathing, spasm of the throat.
Greater heart rate.
Feeling of weakness, faintness.
Numbness of the whole body.
Feelings of dread, intense fear.
Tremor throughout the body.
Urge to vomit, indigestion.
The body "does not obey" the person.
The person feels as if he is "going crazy".

The presence of a phobia can be said if at least 4 of the listed signs of obsessive fears are present.

Men's fears

AT modern world There is an opinion that men are not prone to excessive experiences, and they are practically not afraid of anything. However, this point of view is erroneous, since representatives of the strong half of humanity also have many fears that men are trying to overcome:

1. The most common phobia for men is the fear of being alone. They are afraid to lose their soul mate, to be left alone, abandoned and useless. However, most men will never admit it because they don't want to look pathetic.
2. Fear of new relationships. Unlike women, who can easily plunge into new feelings, men try to hide their emotions, worries and tears. They try to control themselves so as not to fall in love again and lose their priceless freedom.
3. Fear of looking feminine, as in men this is associated with a weak character, humility and humility. If he at least once noticed feminine traits in his character or behavior, this fear will always be present in the mind of a man.
4. Fear of the subordinate. Many men love to gossip about "henpeckedness". If a young man noticed that his friend is completely subordinate to his other half, then this will cause a storm of protest. Therefore, men do everything possible not to find themselves in such a situation, showing their most masculine traits.
5. Fear of the loser. Every man wants to achieve material well-being and financial independence. Therefore, if he understands that he has failed in something, then he immediately enrolls himself in the ranks of losers. positive side This fear is that this phobia makes men become stronger, reach new heights, overcoming difficulties and obstacles.

It is hard for a man to overcome fear on his own, no matter what it is connected with. He will need outside help. However, he must understand that all fears are based on subjective factors and the characteristics of the man himself.

Most male phobias formed in childhood or adolescence. For example, if a young man was rejected several times by women, then this fear will remain with him for life. If there is a fear of meeting the opposite sex, you must immediately warn the girl about it. In most cases, such sincerity in the behavior of a man disarms the ladies. He can get acquainted with girls as much as necessary until he begins to feel comfortable in the company of a lady. A smart and tactful woman will help in this case. It all depends on the willpower and character of the man. Indeed, in order to overcome their fear, someone needs a delicate treatment, and someone needs a tougher approach.

Often getting rid of fears in men occurs with the help of alcohol. This is one of the biggest mistakes, because under the influence of alcohol you can only aggravate the situation. In order to overcome your fears, you can use other methods, such as hobbies, hobbies. Good help to solve the problem leisure, visiting clubs, going to the cinema. Physical activity can help you recharge your batteries and strengthen your spirit. It is better to give preference to such mobile sports as tennis, football, kickboxing.

Women's phobias

The difference between typical female phobias and male phobias is that they are not specifically related to one object, but represent a whole series of interrelated fears.

stay alone

This is due to the fact that a woman is afraid not to get married and sit up "in girls." married women they are afraid of adultery and being abandoned by a man, even if there are no serious reasons for that. Gradually, this thought becomes obsessive and develops into a serious phobia, depression develops. The reason for the appearance of such fears is a woman's inferiority complex, self-doubt and low self-esteem.

The fight against this kind of fear must begin with self-love. We must believe that every person deserves a good life and a respectful attitude towards himself.

Lose beauty, old age

This phobia is inherent in successful and self-confident ladies. However, over time, they begin to think about the fact that time is moving inexorably forward. The best solution in the fight against this fear will not be expensive plastic surgery and creams, but healthy lifestyle life, rational nutrition, activities active species sports and positive thinking.

The phobia of old age most often begins to manifest itself in women over the age of 50 and is associated with its place in society and the family. This may manifest itself in the fact that they incorrectly indicate their age in in social networks, questionnaires. Another option for the manifestation of a phobia is that a woman begins to dress out of age, while she looks ridiculous and funny. Women do not want to retire, take care of their grandchildren, referring to their social employment. Correction of this phobia should begin with awareness of one's "I". You need to learn to recognize and accept your age, along with its positive and negative qualities, to know the value of your years.

fullness

Fear of fullness can have quite dangerous consequences. Trying to look like models from glossy magazine covers, women go on radical diets, which leads to anorexia and disruption of the functioning of all organs and systems.

To get rid of this phobia, you should realize the value of your health. Instead of fasting, you can start to adhere to a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle. This will help you maintain your weight.

Before childbirth

Fear of motherhood, which includes the fear of childbirth, pregnancy. A woman has a fear of childbirth, she is afraid of pain and death. This phobia is typical for women with an inferiority complex. negative moment This fear is that it is accompanied by disruption of the autonomic system, adversely affects the process of conception, the course of pregnancy and childbirth.

Worrying about the child is an integral part of the manifestation of maternal care. But we must not allow natural feelings to develop into a phobia that can affect the state of the woman's nervous system. You need to realize that childbirth lasts only a few hours, this is negligible compared to a whole life ahead. Modern medicine can provide a relatively comfortable birth (with the use of epidural anesthesia) and 99% guarantee that everything will be fine with a woman. The main thing is to call an ambulance in time at the first contractions. You need to read less stories on the Internet and tune in to the positive, since each birth is individual. If girlfriends or sisters had severe, painful and lasted a day, this does not mean that you will have the same. There are many reverse examples.

Insects, amphibians

The reason for the appearance of such fear lies in childhood. In order to get rid of the obsessive fear of insects, spiders and snakes, you need to look fear in the eye: pick it up, touch it.

driving car

The fear of driving a car is due to the fact that a woman is afraid of getting into an accident, damaging the car, breaking the rules. traffic or be ridiculed by other road users. This fear does not need much correction. The fear of the road and cars goes away by itself after a woman acquires driving experience over time. You can improve your skills on training grounds or not very busy tracks.

Public opinion and condemnation by other people

Fear occurs most often in notorious and insecure women. In order to get rid of it, you should set clear priorities for yourself, realize that your own happiness does not depend on the opinions of other people.

Types of phobias and methods of getting rid

Any person can have one or more phobias that affect his character, behavior and attitude towards certain things.

Type of phobia	How to get rid?
claustrophobia - fear enclosed spaces. Manifested by seizures panic fear while in an enclosed space. It can be an elevator, a car. This group of fears includes the fear of the crowd.	It is necessary to try to communicate more with people who have already managed to overcome fear. You should not avoid crowded places and cramped rooms, since it is impossible to get rid of this fear in absentia. If an attack of fear arose in an elevator, then you need to focus your attention on some object, for example, buttons
Gerontophobia - fear of one's own aging and fear of communicating with older people	Doctors say that people who have their own point of view, who are difficult to piss off, and who do not give in to a melancholy mood, look good and retain their youth longer. Should be replaced bad habits helpful, think positive
Trypanophobia - fear of injections, syringes, injections, which is caused by poor quality medical care careless attitude of doctors towards their patients	To avoid a panic attack, do not watch how the health worker does the manipulation. You should distract yourself with something, for example, listen to music, watch an interesting video
Aerophobia - fear of flying	Fly as often as possible. Each successful landing will leave a trace in the subconscious mind that flying in an airplane is safe. You need to buy tickets from a company that has a good reputation. When buying a ticket, you should opt for the middle row away from the window. Do not drink coffee before takeoff. Better eat a mint
Dentophobia is the fear of going to the dentist. People suffering from this phobia go to the dentist in extremely rare cases.	In order to alleviate the patient's condition, dentists recommend that all manipulations be carried out in a state of sedation. Before a visit to the dentist, you need to think about what modern medicine has large quantity new painkillers. You can chat with loved ones who have recently been to the dentist, and nothing happened to them. It must be remembered that even the most severe pain in a person is erased from memory after 3 hours.
Insectophobia - fear of insects, especially ants and bees	When meeting with an insect, you need to breathe deeply, try to relax and even smile. You can develop a program for yourself that will help get rid of this phobia in a few months. To do this, you first need to learn how to be in the same room with an insect for up to 3 minutes. Then do not be afraid to approach a distance of 2-3 meters. After that, you need to overcome your fear and not be afraid to watch the insect for 1 minute. It is necessary to learn how to cover the animal with a jar or bucket tied to a long stick
Herpetophobia is the fear of reptiles. This fear is not rare. He is mainly associated with lizards and snakes.	The best way to get rid of this phobia is hypnotherapy. In order to cope with fear, you should learn as much as possible interesting information and read about reptiles
Agraphobia is a phobia of sexual harassment. Signs of this fear are rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dry mouth, increased anxiety	If the fear of sexual harassment prevents you from living, communicating normally with the opposite sex, then treatment by qualified specialists is recommended. In the process of therapy, methods such as suggestion, conversations, hypnosis are used.
Autophobia is a pathological fear of being alone. The feeling of fear arises in situations where a person is left alone, trying to occupy himself with something, but this is to no avail.	It should be realized that it is impossible to be in communication with people all the time. Loneliness is quite normal. You need to find an occupation that will not give you the opportunity to be sad. It could be new job, hobby, passion, pet
Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces. It can be large areas, deserted streets	You should relax, close your eyes and imagine how a person comes home and crosses the threshold of the house, continues to move around the apartment with slow steps. If at any stage there is a feeling of discomfort, you should start the journey all over again. It should be understood where the “anchor point” is located, what makes a person stay at home. The size of the point should not be more than 1 cm. When a person finds this place and feels comfortable there, one should move further until the fact that the comfort zone is created only by the person himself and no one else is realized
Algophobia is the fear of pain. The reason for the development of this phobia is the pain experienced earlier in an unpleasant situation, for example, in a fight.	You should do auto-training 3 times a week, study relaxation techniques such as yoga, acupressure, taijiquan. During a panic attack, you should take deep breaths and exhale with your stomach.
Spectrophobia - fear of mirrors and reflection	You should overcome yourself and stand in front of the mirror during the day, start talking pleasant words yourself, the room, the mirror. You can invite someone close to you to help

You can not wait until the process goes into a more severe form. If you miss the moment of the beginning of the development of fear, then it will be impossible to overcome it on your own.

Look at environment and life from a positive perspective. If you imagine an unpleasant future, then the situation will only get worse.
Face the phobia eye to eye. The method is quite radical and quite effective. Although not everyone can dare to do so.
Ability to relax during a panic attack. You can start talking loudly, singing, laughing.
Breathe correctly. Convulsive sobs and sighs will not help to overcome an attack of panic fear. Breathing should be calm, even, deep and rhythmic.
Complete relaxation of the muscles of the body and face will help you calm down faster.
You can not use drugs, alcohol and coffee to overcome your phobia. This will only aggravate the situation, since these methods act excitingly on the human nervous system.

Special techniques for dealing with fears

There are many special psychological techniques that will help you overcome fear on your own.

1. Technique "face to face".

This technique should be practiced twice a day. For 10 minutes, you should think only about your fear, bringing yourself to the state of the onset of a panic attack. Its paradox lies in the fact that in order to get rid of fear, one must experience strong emotional discomfort. After a few minutes, the person begins to realize that there is no danger. You just need to calmly repeat those thoughts that caused anxiety before. This state must be maintained for all 10 minutes, otherwise everything will be useless.

This technique is based on the ability of the nervous system to quickly recover and stabilize after a strong emotional shock. After a few days of this technique, a person notices that he simply has nothing to fill these 10 minutes. He will begin to get bored, as the feeling of fear will gradually disappear. The stress system of the body will no longer react violently to the appearance of an irritant every time.

2. The technique of writing down your fears.

In order to overcome an obsessive fear in yourself, you can try the technique of writing down your phobia. It consists in the fact that during the day you need to literally write down all your thoughts that arise about fear from the moment the excitement began until it ends. You should not try to write everything in the form of beautiful sentences. You can just word for word as a stenographer at a meeting.

The essence of this method is that when fear passes from a person's consciousness to paper, it materializes, acquires features and, as a result, looks primitive and meaningless. After a while it will become uninteresting to write the same words, and the fear will gradually go away.

3. The technique of singing your phobias.

The technique of singing fear helps to get rid of obsessive thoughts. You need to sing exactly as they appear in your head. If a person sings, then he simply physically cannot stay in stressful condition. Must choose a short phrase and hum it to a simple tune for a few minutes. As soon as the negative sensations begin to disappear, you must immediately switch your attention to something else.

4. Technique for changing the picture in the head.

This technique works well in cases where a person cannot convey his feelings in words, since they are only a picture that arises in the head. At the time of the appearance of fear, you need to imagine a picture that is completely opposite to your phobia. For example, if a person suffers from claustrophobia, then you should immediately imagine yourself in a large open field. If a person is afraid of some kind of illness, one must imagine oneself happy and healthy.

Do not be afraid to seek help from a specialist. It is necessary to distinguish between a psychotherapist - a doctor who deals with mild mental disorders, such as phobias, and a psychiatrist, who treats serious illnesses, such as schizophrenia, and who can register the patient. Seeing a psychotherapist has no consequences. The doctor will not prescribe serious drugs, but will help to cope with the phobia with the help of conversation, suggestion, hypnosis.

Fear is considered the only reaction that is caused by a person's environment. Each of us is born practically devoid of this feeling. The only fear that babies may experience is the fear of falling from a height and loud noises. All other reactions in them awaken later, as a result of certain events. The reason for all the fears that arise with age lies in the person's confidence in the inability to cope with life's ups and downs. And this feeling does not make it possible to reach heights, even insignificant ones. At the same time, we are not talking about significant successes or the realization of dreams at all. Any person should be able and know how to overcome fear. There are many ways to do this. Below are methods for overcoming any fears. They are very effective and produce amazing results.

Do you want to overcome fear? Just do it!

It is necessary, despite the fear, to develop the habit of acting in any situation. You need to understand that this feeling is a common reaction that occurs to attempts to carry out actions that are unusual for you. Also, fear can arise as a result of steps that are aimed at overcoming one's own beliefs. Each person receives a certain experience and worldview for a long time. At the moment when he tries to change him, he is faced with the question of how to overcome fear. Depending on the level of persuasion, the fear of the situation can be both weak and strong.

If you, for example, do not know how to overcome the fear of driving a car, you need to instill confidence in yourself that you will certainly be able to drive onto a busy highway. As long as a person hesitates, the fear becomes stronger. The longer the pause before action, the more fear fills the brain. At the first attempt to accomplish the plan, the fear disappears.

How to conquer fears? Evaluation of the worst option

If the question arises of how to overcome fear, you can try to overcome it in a logical way. When a feeling of fear arises, you need to imagine the worst possible outcome of the development of events that you cannot decide on. Usually after that the fear disappears. Why is this happening? Even the worst option is not as scary as the unknown and the very feeling of fear. As soon as a phobia acquires a concrete picture of what is happening, it ceases to be a threat. After all, the strongest weapon of fear is the unknown. In the mind of a person, they are so great that it often seems as if it will be impossible to survive the result of what happened.

In the case when even after evaluating the worst case it is still scary, this means that the worst outcome of the situation is actually terrible. Then you should think about whether it is really worth doing. After all, fear is a defensive response. Perhaps you just need to abandon the implementation of the plan.

Want to conquer your fear? Make a decision!

It is the adoption of a decision that will force you to gather strength and, as a result, fulfill what is catching up with fear. If you set yourself up for real action the fear will disappear. The presence of fears is possible only in the presence of uncertainty and emptiness. They are inseparable companions of doubt. There is no need to make a decision without making a decision.

However, when thinking about how to overcome fear, the question also arises: "Why is it so strong?" The horror of upcoming events draws in the mind of a person an unflattering picture of undesirable actions and situations in which he is uncomfortable. When fear arises, options for failure and failure scroll through the mind. Such thoughts instantly affect the emotional state. Negative influence. With an insufficient amount of positive, decisiveness for action is lost. At this time, confidence in one's own worthlessness is strengthened. It is determination that affects the ability to overcome fear.

How to conquer fear: step by step

So, if you know what exactly you are afraid of, then this is half the battle. Therefore, there is an opportunity to prepare to overcome the phobia. You need to go through two stages: analysis and representation of fear.

Analysis

At this stage, you need to carefully analyze your fear of the upcoming action. The questions to be answered are the following:

1. What am I afraid of?

2. Does my fear have a rational basis?

3. Should I be afraid in this case?

4. Why did my fear arise?

5. Fear of what is more - the performance of the action itself or the unattainability of the goal in the end?

You can ask yourself a variety of other questions that you deem necessary. It is required to study fear in more detail. Fear is an emotion, and its analysis is a logical action. After completing the first stage, you can understand that in fact, fear does not make sense. But at the same time, the fear of action can continue. Emotions always win over logic. Often this happens when you need to decide how to overcome the fear of driving. Then we move on to the second stage.

Performance

How to overcome fear and insecurity with the help of emotions, not logic? The representation of one's own fear is its visualization. If you know exactly what you are afraid of, calmly scroll through the pictures of this action in your mind. The human mind does not distinguish between imagined and real events. After the phobia has been repeatedly overcome in your imagination, it will be much easier to do the same in reality. This is due to the fact that in the subconscious the model for performing the act is already fixed. Self-hypnosis is enough effective method fight fears. It can be applied in any situation unambiguously successfully.

How to get rid of fear? Train your courage!

Imagine that you can train courage in the same way as pumping up muscles in gym. First, a projectile with a small weight rises - if possible. Over time, when it becomes easy, the mass of inventory increases. With each new load, attempts are made to lift the projectile with greater force. You need to do the same with fears - first train your mind against a small one, then fight with a fear of a greater degree. Let's take a look at specific options.

Example one

How to overcome the fear of people if you are afraid to speak in front of a large audience? To begin with, it is worth inviting friends to a meeting and demonstrating your skills in front of them. Let's say ten people. Speaking in front of a small audience is not as scary as speaking in front of a few dozen or hundreds of spectators. Then gather about 30 people and complete the task in front of them. In case if this stage is problematic for you, and fear still arises (you forget what to say, you get lost), then you need to train with exactly this number of spectators until the situation becomes familiar and calm. Then you can perform in front of an audience of 50, 100 or more people.

Example two

If you are shy and do not know how to overcome your fear of people, then you should make it a habit to talk to them more often. You can start by simply smiling at passers-by on the street. You will be pleasantly surprised, but people will start doing the same in return. Of course, there will be such a person who decides that you are laughing at him. But it's not a problem.

Next, you need to start greeting passers-by. They will answer, thinking that you know each other, and remember where they met before. The next step is to try to start a casual conversation with people. For example, while standing in line, you can say some phrase of a neutral theme. This will provoke someone to answer you. There are many reasons to start a conversation - weather, sports, politics, etc. Thus, having defeated small fears, you can cope with big ones.

Step by step plan to get rid of fear

Identify your biggest anxiety (for example, you don't know how to overcome your fear of the dentist). Then follow all of the following steps:

1. Divide your fear into several smaller ones. There must be at least 5 of them.

2. Start by training to overcome the smallest fear of them.

3. If there is fear even in front of him, then you need to break it into several more.

4. Overcome each petty fear one by one.

5. You need to train on an ongoing basis.

This method will allow you to learn how to deal with fears. If there are breaks between such workouts for a long time, then soon you will have to start all over again. The process is similar to if you interrupt your workouts in the gym for a long time - the muscles wean from a heavy load, and you have to take on light exercises. As soon as training stops, the fear that lives in your mind will take over you. Emotions will win over logic.

Other Techniques for Coping with Stressful Situations

It is worth noting that any positive emotions help to overcome fears, while negative ones, on the contrary, interfere.

Boost your own self-esteem

There is a pattern - the better your opinion of yourself is, the less fear you have of anything. In this case, self-esteem protects against excessive fear and stress. It doesn't matter if it's false or true. That is why an inflated positive opinion of oneself often gives a person the ability to perform a bolder act than the real one.

Believe

If you don’t know, for example, how to overcome the fear of an airplane, then faith in God, an angel or other higher being will help get rid of this feeling. When you have confidence that one of these images can take care of you in a critical situation, your negative emotions become less strong. It seems as if the light from any higher power dispels the darkness of fear.

love

Men are able to cope with any fears for the sake of the women they love. The same can be said about mothers. They will overcome any obstacle to raise healthy children. Therefore, remembering a loved one, you can overcome any fear in order to be near him.

How to overcome fear of heights: an effective physical method

In order to really overcome the fear of heights, you will need a consultation with a psychologist, a pen, a notebook and a balcony located in a multi-storey building.

First you need to understand yourself - how strong is your fear of heights. In the case when fear appears from the view from the balcony of the 20th floor, we can talk about the necessary sense of self-preservation. Without this defensive reaction man would not have survived. But in the event of fear arising when overcoming several steps of a stepladder, we can already talk about a phobia. The first option requires learning to control and curb your own emotions. The second case involves visiting a psychologist and solving the problem with him.

Let's take action

You do not know how to overcome the fear of heights, and the help of a specialist did not help you or you do not want to contact him? Then you should learn to stand calmly for a start, for example, on the balcony of the 5th floor, if this is too difficult, then you should start from the second or third, gradually increasing the height. It is recommended to start a diary and record in it all your feelings, thoughts and - most importantly - achievements. When you read it periodically, it will give additional confidence and strength. When fear is finally defeated by you, burn the diary. Thus, you can put an end to the fight against fear of heights.

How to overcome the fear of a fight?

Fear of a fight is most often due to the usual lack of experience and skills, physical inability to fight. In this case, you need to urgently go to learn self-defense courses. At the same time, their focus is not important, the main thing is that the mentor be a professional in their field. A knowledgeable, authoritative, experienced coach will teach you how to strike correctly, set up defensive blocks and instill confidence in you.

Self improvement

Fans of idly waving their fists on a subconscious level feel a potential “victim” - a frightened, notorious, fearful person. To become strong personality, you can turn to the method of psychological relaxation, concentration, self-hypnosis. Thanks to this technique, you will learn not only to react almost instantly to provocations, but also begin to do it clearly and confidently.

There is another, perfect method - the cessation of mental, emotional thinking, imagining a possible fight. If you learn to treat her coolly, then your condition will change. The sharpness of perception, the reaction will increase, and the body will have the opportunity to mobilize forces in full to win victory.

Psychologist or training?

The most successful effect in overcoming the fear of a fight will be if you turn to a psychologist with a problem. If this is not an option for you, then excellent result can be achieved by attending training aimed at personal growth. It should not necessarily be dedicated to the topic: "How to overcome the fear of a fight." Any quality training that helps develop self-confidence can definitely help to cope with this problem.

Dealing with the fear of driving

If you do not know how to overcome the fear of driving a car, and even at the same time you have little driving experience vehicle, you should choose not very popular and quiet routes that have the lowest possible traffic flow. In this case, your path to your destination will become longer, but at the same time, you can kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, it will be possible to gain experience in real driving, and not idle in traffic jams on the main streets of the city, especially during rush hour. Secondly, you will learn how to quickly and correctly assess the situation on the road when driving without nervousness. After a month or two of such practice, your fear of both the car and maneuvers and difficult situations on the way will disappear.

Away with nervousness!

How to overcome fear of driving? The main rule is not to be nervous under any circumstances! Even if you set off on your car unsuccessfully, stalled at a traffic light or blocked a couple of lanes. This happens to every driver. And if they shout, honk and swear at you, try to minimize your nervousness. Think about the fact that no one was hurt in this situation, and it would be much worse if, in fright, you suddenly pressed the gas pedal and collided with another car.

Fighting Fear of Flying

You have to travel by air, but you do not know how to overcome the fear of flying on an airplane? Try to do something while you wait for your flight. Switch your attention to things that have nothing to do with the future flight. Don't go into the air feeling hungry, but don't pre-eat a lot of sugary or fatty foods. You should also avoid caffeine-containing drinks, which can increase anxiety. To avoid unnecessary excitement, arrive at the check-in of passengers on time.

Overcoming the fear of flying in the air

How to overcome the fear of flying at altitude? While already in the air, do not look at the passengers, determining their condition. Of course, it will be possible to easily find more than one person who is afraid of flying just like you. This will increase the feeling of panic. To reduce the fear of flying to a minimum, you should keep your legs with your feet on the floor, women wearing high-heeled shoes should take off their shoes. So support will be felt and fear will decrease. Also, do not listen to the sound of the aircraft engine and mentally imagine the plots of disasters. On the contrary, you need to remember something pleasant, chat with the person in the next chair, or be distracted by solving a crossword puzzle.

The main principle of dealing with fears is never to fight them.

The article lists many options for dealing with fears. But in fact, they never need to be fought. When you try to overcome fear, it only intensifies and completely takes over your mind. It is enough when there is a fear of something just to admit it. For example, how to overcome the fear of death? Recognize that it is inevitable. And reconcile. This does not mean that you will become weak. Not the absence of fear is considered courage, but the ability to act. No matter what. Fear can be destroyed only by ignoring it. This way you can direct your attention and energy to the ability to act.

There are no people in the world who are absolutely not afraid of anything - this is a fact. Therefore, if you have any fears, you should not worry and complex about this topic, since we are all people, which means we are also afraid of something. In this article, we will talk with you about how you can overcome your fears, reveal the most effective methods fight fears, as well as give practical advice obtained from personal experience. Therefore, the article will be of interest to absolutely everyone.

6 ways to overcome fear

Understand the psychology of fear. First you need to understand how fear appears. This process can be divided into three main stages: the first is a biochemical reaction of the body, which can be expressed in sweating of the hands, increased heart rate and, most importantly, in adrenaline, which is produced. In fact, this is the reaction of our body and organism to the situation. The second stage is the emotional component. This will determine how we perceive fear. A person may cry (or something like that), or he may laugh. Since the reaction to fear is very individual for everyone, in addition, the injection of adrenaline in the blood also differs significantly. And the third stage, which is nothing but addiction. A person cannot be afraid all the time, over time, the emotional and biochemical components stop working, so we stop being afraid. Knowing this technology, you can prevent fear yourself.

Fight fire with fire! This advice is known to many, and not in vain, it really helps people. This method is completely based on the knowledge of the psychology of fear described above. You need not try to get away from fear, but rather return to it more often. Over time, the fear will begin to pass, as the brain and your body will begin to get used to what is happening. The reaction of the body will also cease to intensify, as it will feel that nothing terrible has happened for a long time. However, here we advise you to start getting rid of fear gradually. For example, if you are wildly afraid of spiders, you do not need to immediately pick it up and allow it to crawl on its own, a person may faint from such a sharp fear. Of course, nothing bad will happen from him, just when you fall, you can hit your head hard. In the end, you will also have to treat your head. So, if you are afraid of spiders, first try to visit an exhibition of spiders, walk around with them, look at them, maybe even touch them a little (it will be difficult, but still), study their habits and properties. Find out what species you can find in your home or forest. How dangerous can they be? Such information will most likely reassure you even more, since dangerous spiders in our latitudes are quite difficult to meet, especially in an apartment. They say that there is only one step from love to hate, and it can happen with your fears in the same way. After all, there were a lot of cases when people were afraid of water or spiders, and then became famous swimmers or breeders of arachnids.

Come up with a motivation why you need to get rid of fear. It is quite difficult to get rid of fear just like that, since it is necessary to deal with it and literally treat a person. A healthy (physically) and modern man has enough other things to do more important than studying his fears and getting rid of them, unless he has a goal or goal - to get rid of fear urgently! Think for the sake of whom or what, you would like to get rid of this phobia. Perhaps you have a desire to do something: jump from a parachute, for example, or cross the Atlantic Ocean on a ship, but the fear of heights or water prevents you from doing this. Are you ready for such a goal (of your whole life) to get rid of stupid fears?!

Let that person be present with you in front of whom you would be ashamed to show your fear. If you cannot control yourself in difficult situations, then let the person in front of whom you are afraid to show your weaknesses be present with them. It could be beautiful girl or a man, your child, or even a mother or father who will make fun of you if you show your emotions. If you are afraid to show your body (especially girls have such a phobia), then here you need to just go to common beach and just strip down to your bathing suit. Do it abruptly and without talking. Then lie down under an umbrella and spend as much time as possible on this beach. At the end of the day, you will most likely become so accustomed to being in public without clothes that cover your entire body. But now in the city there will be no problems to wear those outfits that you only want, since this complex or fear (call it what you want) will disappear!

Learn to relax. If you find yourself in such a situation, the first thing to do is to try to quickly distract from what is happening. Start talking about abstract topics, look in the other direction, it may be worth calling someone so that the person on the line can distract you with a conversation. It is important not to let emotions get the better of you, then everything will be fine with you!

Find a way to save yourself. If all else fails, then you should be prepared for your fear. For example, if you are afraid for your heart, that it sometimes hurts, and you start to panic. It's simple - go to the doctor, find out your diagnosis and ask which pills can help in an emergency. Having bought these pills, always carry them with you, and as soon as something like this happens, you immediately take the pill. Further, if you are afraid of the dark, carry a gas spray or a stun gun with you so that you can always protect yourself. The essence of the advice is to find a thing that could protect you in difficult times that you are so afraid of.

Fear is a natural emotion, which, when excessive, if it becomes neurotic, destroys a person's life, placing him in captivity of all kinds of restrictions. And you need to show courage and determination in order to get out of this captivity and become the master of your fear. How to do it? Learn how to overcome your fear in this article.

Causes of fear

As a rule, fears in a person appear in the following cases:

1. Organics

Obsessive states, phobias are the result of a person having a GM tumor, trauma, infection. To reject this item, do a tomography.

2. Genes

If your parents or other relatives had anxiety neuroses in your family, then there is a possibility that they came to you by inheritance. This genetic predisposition can manifest itself at any age, especially if a person is faced with traumatic situations.

3. Powerful Stress.

A single situation that frightened a person can provoke a constant fear. For example, a person went into a dark entrance and got scared. Then he may be afraid of dark entrances.

Repeated stresses also form negative reactions in the future in the form of fear or avoidance.

For example, the father humiliated the child. He then became afraid of men.

4. In terms of magic, phobias are often the result of magical influence, such as a love spell or spoilage. To rule out this option, make a diagnosis on the tarot or runes.

If you find the presence of negativity, you should not panic. This is all solvable. Ordinary cleanings or shifts remove the negative impact.

How to conquer fear

1. Art therapy as a way to overcome fear

In order to conquer your fear, you need to get rid of it, throw it out of your subconscious. This can be done with drawings. Take landscape sheet and paint and draw your fear. And then tear the drawing or burn it. Do it regularly. Combining with other methods.

2.Switching techniques

People who experience fear are too focused on themselves and their own inner world, so it is important to switch in time. Don't let fear grow. It is much easier to catch moments of fear and switch to positive emotions . This can be done by being involved in an interesting thing that will grab you, or by positive imagery, or by thoughts that need to be repeated until the fear is released. For example, you can use the following affirmation: “I am safe. I am well protected."

3. Communication with fear

To conquer fear, you need to make friends with it. Understand why he came and what positive functions he performs. And to find out, you need to start talking with your fear. This can be done orally or in writing.

4. Breathing exercises

There is one wonderful cure for fear - it is “inhaling courage and exhaling fears. Try it. Sit comfortably on a chair or on the floor, straighten your back and practice free breathing, imagining that with each breath you breathe in fearlessness, and with each breath you release fear and anxiety.

5. Go on your own

This technique is the most efficient. And in order to overcome fear, you need to go towards it. It may be scary, but by overcoming yourself, you overcome your fears.

Usage example:

If you are afraid to communicate with people, then you need to start doing it. Call organizations, start conversations with strangers, to ask questions.

If you are afraid of getting infected from touching, then you need to start saying hello to everyone, touching door handles, and devoting less time to tidying up.

If you have a fear of dogs, then you can start by watching them at a safe distance, looking at pictures of dogs. Then reduce the distance, start stroking small dogs.

This technique itself is effective in dealing with fears. But the approach to it should be gradual.

Additional Tips for Defeating Fear

1. Faith in a higher power

Faith in God helps so many people to cope with their fears. Because they know they are under divine protection. And also believers have humility and trust. And this is a great cure for fear.

2. Positive attitude

When a person has positive emotions, when he enjoys life, then fears usually recede. Therefore, make it a habit for yourself to do 5 things every day that bring you positive emotions.

3. Favorite business

Fears appear when a person is not busy with anything. When he lives a boring life and does something wrong in this life. When he suppresses his desires and creative energy. Therefore, dear friends, look for activities to your liking. Find your purpose and follow it.

4.Self-esteem

A person with high self-esteem is more likely to triumph over his fears, as he believes in himself and in his strength.

5. Daily routine and timely rest

Phobias are exacerbated when a person experiences nervous or physical overwork, so it is important to rest in a timely manner and not overstrain, observe the daily routine, go to bed and get up at the same time.

6.Sports

Sport is a cure for many fears and neuroses. They shouldn't be neglected. Especially useful for the nervous system is activity on fresh air such as cycling or skiing, hiking, or gardening.

7. Help from outside

If you can’t overcome the fear on your own, do not hesitate to go to a specialist. Now there are a lot of experienced psychotherapists and psychologists. There is an abundance of psychological techniques that help to cope with phobias.

Useful practices to overcome fear

In order to overcome fear, you need to regularly do the following exercises:

1. Self-hypnosis

Go to a room, or to nature, so that no one bothers you. Turn on relaxation music. Take a deep breath and exhale. Repeat this 3 times. Relax. Turn off emotions. Count from 100 to 1 and close your eyes.

Begin to pronounce similar self-hypnosis formulas for 10-15 minutes:

I'm safe. I am protected by a higher power. God is protecting me.
I am brave. I easily go to my fears and conquer them.
I believe in myself. I know that if I can create fear, then I can overcome it.
Flying on planes is safe.
Every person is my friend. I like people. I know that people wish me well.

Better make your own. Under your situation To be close, so as not to cause rejection. When composing, remember to write them in the present tense.

Be sure to say the formulas for fear in the alpha state, otherwise it will not work. And regularly

2. Visualization

Visualization practices are used by both psychologists and esotericists. They are designed to work with your subconscious. It is also important to execute them in the alpha state. . That is, in the beginning it is important to relax as much as possible. Count from 100 to 1, while looking at one point. Then close your eyes and start visualizing. Remember regularity. For 1 time, nothing will come of it.

It is possible, by the way, to combine the formulas of self-hypnosis with the work of the imagination.

1. Imagine something that you are afraid of, do it easily and effortlessly. For example, how easy it is for you to communicate with people if you have social phobia.

2. Imagine your fear as a black spot on a white background and erase it with an eraser.

3. Do a general visualization of your favorite pictures, they will give the effect of relaxation. For example, if you love the sea, visualize how you walk along the sea coast, how the sun is shining....

4. Imagine that you are protected by the divine light that surrounds you.

3. Relaxation

For people with phobias, fears, it is extremely important to monitor their emotional state. It is important to carry out regular self-regulation techniques, to do relaxation daily 1-3 times a day. It's very simple.

Lie down. Close your eyes. Turning off the phone before this and warning others that you were not disturbed for 10-30 minutes. You can turn on meditative music to enhance the effect.

Gradually begin to relax your body. As you do this, say:

how do you relax

legs
stomach
back
arms
shoulders
face
head

Reach a state of relaxation and stay in it for 10-30 minutes.

4. Mindfulness

To conquer fear, cultivate mindfulness. Timely catch yourself on the thoughts that are the starting point in the formation of the reaction and say to yourself:

Yeah, am I scared again? Actually, I'm safe.

Come to the forest. Breathe in the pine air, recharge your batteries. Make walks regular.

Well, being busy is important. If you "parasitize", then an excess of free time will lead to the fact that various thoughts, usually negative ones, will start to creep into your head. Therefore, clearly plan your day and act on the basis of the plan.

It takes work to overcome fear. It's just that nothing happens in the world. If you want to get better, do it. Set yourself up for success. Combine independent technicians working with a psychologist or psychotherapist.

1. Accept your fear.

It all starts with this step. From acceptance. You need to acknowledge the fact that you are afraid.

Acceptance will help you deal with it faster, reduce your resistance.

No need to be angry with yourself that you are afraid. Or because you are mentally ill. Or that you are weak and unable to cope. Do not allow such thoughts. Otherwise, it will only get worse.

Accept the fear, accept yourself and take action. All in your hands.

2. Find out its cause.

Many people make the mistake of fighting the effect rather than the cause. Therefore, it is important to understand the source of fear. This is half a step towards success. If it is difficult to find the cause of your fear on your own, be sure to go to a psychologist.

3. Work on overcoming fear.

Do the practices described in this article, look for others that are closer to you. Remember, we are all individuals and what suits one may not suit another. Look for yours. And take a holistic approach.

4. Believe in success.

Faith is a power that heals not only from fears, but also from more serious problems. One is very important. Miracles happen to her. People are healed from various ailments. Who believes wins!

signs

During fears, a person manifests symptoms that bear a psychosomatic picture. The most common symptoms are:

constipation
diarrhea
lump in the throat
anxiety
voltage
dry mouth
shiver
restlessness
heart is beating fast
stupor
panic

These symptoms may show themselves in part or in all their glory. it all depends on the person, on his individual characteristics and methods of responding to situations that cause fear.

Signs of fear come in all sorts of forms. It depends on many factors, on what kind of fear a person experiences, real or neurotic. Symptoms may be permanent or only occur in situations that the person is afraid of.

Types of fears

Chipped fears are classified as follows:

1. Natural.

Some people are afraid of all kinds natural phenomena, such as

wind, thunderstorm, flood. Fear of the elements can be characteristic of any people, even very educated ones.

2. Social fears.

These include fears of losing loved ones, stage fright, communication with people. He also includes fears of poverty, death, change.

3. Internal fears.

1. Fear of the unknown can be overcome if you study in detail the issue that worries you.

2. Fear of the negative consequences of a certain situation, such as being rejected, is overcome with the help of humor and simulation of the situation.

3. Fear of making a mistake again is treated like this. You should study your past experience, learn a lesson, understand how to behave further so as not to make such a mistake.

4. The fear of death is overcome by faith in the continuation of life after death, in sulfur in the Higher powers.