5 Mental Tricks to Combat Your Fears

The emotional reaction to a perceived threat is fear. This is a normal and healthy response in life which keeps us from getting into harmful situations; it also helps us decide when to get out of situations that are not essentially the best. Ordinarily, fear can be handled through reason and logic. This prevents it from taking over our lives or causing us to become irrational. Fear can metamorphosize into phobia, such that the normal fear response becomes something that is hard or impossible to manage. As a result, it can stunt your overall development as a person. In addition to hindering you from achieving your true potential, fear can be an obstruction to many great things in life.

 

We discovered some mental tricks to combat your fears and we'll share 5 of them below.

 

1. Think About Death

 

Every day, every minute someone dies - both the young and old. Thinking about death will remind you that no one lives forever. It will give you the boldness to really fight for what is important to you, therefore it is a great idea to embrace life, living to the fullest. Today you are presented with an opportunity to do what you should do. Do not let your fears condition you to rely on tomorrow for tomorrow may not come to you.

 

2. Think About the Enormity of the Universe

 

Thinking about the vastness of the world and all that is in it will help you see that everything is in order in the complex creation. Neither the stars nor planets collide with each other. Now see how small your challenges compare to the immensity of the world. That's how insignificant you'll begin to see your fear.

 

3. Think About Your Life As Your Dream

 

View your life as your dream - it belongs to you. no one else can live it better than you do. In this dream, you can influence the experiences you face and your reaction to them. When you're asleep and you dream, you're never worried about what others think about you - do the same with your life. As long as your acts aren't devious or evil, don't worry about the consequences. Your life, your dream, you only live once!

 

4. Think About Doing Your Best and Do it

 

Get rid of any negative thoughts about failure, embarrassment and the likes and jut put your best foot forward. Many of those who, at one time, had the fear of speaking in public embraced this trick and it worked for them. Turn your focus away from yourself toward what you're doing and deliver it as best as you can. If you couldn't do it, you wouldn't have had this chance - think about it.

 

5. Think About Your Fears As Relative 

 

Putting things into perspective will help you see your challenges or fears as relative - nothing is too awful or too significant. Remember how anxious you were when you took that important exam? Or when you walked down the aisle to spend the rest of your life with your spouse? Think of fear as relative.

 

We hope that you'll use at least one, if not all 5 mental tricks to combat your fears. Let us know how they worked for you.

 

5 Ways To Be More Confident

If you feel that you need to take yourself out of a situation where other people undermine your abilities or you just need to challenge limiting beliefs that were formed years ago, you need to work on your self-confidence. Actually, self-confidence refers to assuredness in your own power and ability to overcome any kind of situation. So, if you don't have a strong sense of belief in yourself, the following are 5 ways to be more confident.

 

1. Get rid of negative thoughts

 

It's important for you to know how to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. This is mainly why negative thoughts, as well as any kind of insecurities, usually pop-up in your mind. In fact, you need to learn to be aware of your self-talk, when it's negative, and be able to get rid of it. Instead, you can think all the amazing things that happen to you right now and focus on them. Even though it's not easy to do so, with a little training you can control your mind over insecurities and negative ideas.

 

2. Focus on solutions

 

If you focus more on problems and complain about them than trying to find any possible solutions, you need to change your focus as soon as possible. For example, instead of trying to figure out why you are facing a difficult situation, you can try to find the best solutions you can, in order to resolve the problem. In fact, by trying to find new ideas that will help you with your problem is one of the best things you can actually do for your confidence.

 

3. Get prepared

 

When you think that you are not going to perform well at something, it's hard to be confident in yourself. You can actually beat this feeling, by preparing as much as possible for any hard situation. For example, if you need to make a presentation for your work in front of an audience, you need to be prepared well; learn everything about your subject and study as much as you can. This way, you'll be able to perform better and you'll eventually feel more confident.

 

4. Set small goals

 

Many people usually make the mistake of making really big plans and as a result they get easily discouraged. Even if it's great to 'dream big', it's better to start by setting a small goal that you know you can achieve. This is going to give you more joy and you will feel more powerful in achieving your small goals. As a result, soon you'll be setting bigger ones.

 

5. Know yourself better

 

If you are trying to overcome a negative self-image and you really want to replace it with confidence, you only enemy is yourself. So, it's crucial to get to know yourself well. For instance, you can start by listening to your thoughts and try to analyze them. Then, you need to thing about all the good things about yourself, such as the thinks you can do great and you like and think about if your limitations are real.

 

5 Ways Which Fears Can Negatively Impact Your Life

Fear is one of the usual human emotions, triggered by a real or perceived threat. It is a biological response mechanism that prepares the body for fight or flight in the presence of danger. In its concrete form, fear is more than a mere mental state and instead, a powerful emotion that affects the body’s physiology as well as the body’s chemical balance. While fear has some positive effects, it can have serious negative impacts in one’s life. Here is the insight:

 

Fear elicits stress 

 

Stress is one of the consequences of fear. There is a lot that will change in your life the moment you accumulate stress to extreme levels. For instance, the immune system will be weakened and as a result, one is likely to suffer psychosomatic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular infections. Extreme stress will also impair judgment and accurate perception of reality.

 

Besides stress, fear itself is capable of weakening the immune system, a result of which is a series of infections such as ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome and decreased fertility.

 

Strained relationships

 

Fear causes a lot of paranoia and is likely to strain all personal relationships. In a state of fear, it is barely possible to trust the people around us despite their good intentions. Relations at the workplace will also be affected negatively. This will lead to reduced productivity at the workplace and a very small social circle. A person living in fear is less likely to start and sustain meaningful relationships.

 

Low achievement levels 

 

Almost all opportunities in life involve risks. Choosing to join college will see you passing or failing in exams. Investing in a certain business will either earn you profits or losses. In a state of fear, a person is never willing to take these risks and without risking, it is barely possible to achieve full actualization potentials.

 

Stifled thinking 

 

Fear has always been associated with a state of indecisiveness and distorted thinking patterns. A mind marred by fear will not think clearly and form accurate perceptions of reality but will rather base all thoughts and actions around the perceived or real threat and events that are likely to come along. Fear is a leeway to erosion of confidence, without which you cannot even believe in your ability to think in abstract terms.

 

Destructive habits 

 

Fear is one of the reasons why people do not lead a healthy lifestyle. To numb the pain that is associated with fear, individuals will resolve to destructive habits such as careless driving, drinking excessively and abusing various drugs. These are all destructive habits that will derail one’s health and put a person at risk.

 

Conclusively, some amount of fear is constructive in the manner that it protects people from real and perceived dangers but when it becomes a default mode, fear has more consequences than positive influences.

 

10 Rational Fears

Rational fears have to be the most difficult to concur. This is mostly because they are things that could actually happen, or things that have happened to someone you know. When trying to deal with rational fears, the best form of defense will be a support group, some therapy and safe guarding yourself as best as you can to avoid situations that will give those fears a higher probability of occurring. 

 

Here are 10 rational fears that most of us have:

 

Fear of being lonely: Many of us despise being alone. This is when you get into your own head and start thinking dark, uncomfortable thoughts. Solution is to find more ways to be sociable. 

 

Fear of losing a limb: Most of us cannot fathom living without any one of our limbs. The best way to avoid this fear is to find ways to safe-guard yourself from unnecessary and preventable accidents. 

 

Fear of losing: No one likes losing at anything. Unfortunately, every now and again you are going to lose at something. The best way to deal with this is to prepare yourself well for any test and to treat failure as a lesson rather than a proclamation of your status. 

 

Fear of poverty: We all want nice things. The solution is to work hard, smart and keep going until you get what you want, legally. 

 

Fear of contamination and diseases: No one likes being sick. The pain of disease has created a rational fear of contamination and infection in many. The solution is to live as healthily as you can and to avoid contamination as much as possible. 

 

Fear of discrimination: It is no longer just about black or white. People of all walks of life get discriminated against in many different ways. Although you cannot control what someone else does, you can control your reaction to it. If sensitization does not work, simply walk away and try again someplace else.

 

Fear of losing your job: This will mean unemployment, poverty and in the most extreme of cases, homelessness and hopelessness. To safe guard yourself here, work diligently, make yourself indispensable and as a back-up plan, work on a business plan should everything go South, you can be self-employed. 

 

Fear of confrontation: In life, there is going to be conflict. As much as some of us love, many of us would rather avoid confrontation. Be as calm as you possibly can and approach every volatile situation with a level head. 

 

Fear of being ridiculed: No one likes being ridiculed. Try your best not to put yourself in such a situation, but should it happen, brush it off with a light touch and forget about it. Obsessing over it will create animosity and hostility within you. 

 

Fear of pain: Pain of any kind, be it physical or emotional is never really ideal. Unfortunately, in life, you are going to experience some pain. The best way to deal with this is to simply learn how to deal with it. Every situation is different. 

 

These are 10 rational fears that many of us face. The list of irrational fears is much longer and stranger.

How Meditation Can Help You Overcome Your Fears

Fear and anxiety can be overpowering and keep you from accomplishing tasks. Fortunately, there is a better way to overcome your fears through the ancient art of meditation. Anyone can achieve this through guided practice and time. I'll explain to you how meditation can help you overcome your fears in this article so you can conquer it. 

 

One of the main aspects of fear is brought on by intimidation of the event or thought that does not subside until after the fact. Through mediation, the mind becomes quieted from the over-activity that feeds into fear. It allows a person to detach one's self from the negative emotion that is being triggered. In order to learn how meditation can help you overcome your fears you must first master the skill required to become centered. 

 

Meditation has been scientifically proven to effectively treat stress and anxiety, two factors that are commonly associated with fear. By learning the art of meditation you will be able to take control of your mental state and reach the calming response that will allow you to conquer your fears. Meditating trains your brain to respond differently to the negative thoughts and emotions that automatically occur when fear is brought on.

 

This ancient practice requires one to clear the mind of all thoughts. This may take time to achieve, but even practicing for short moments at a time will help you to practice regular meditation. The main principal to meditating is to focus on one thing, usually a calming and relaxing technique. The easiest way to achieve this is by concentrating on taking breaths.

 

To begin, find a comfortable space that is quiet to sit or lay down. Close your eyes and try to erase all negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Take in a deep breath and slowly exhale. Focus on your breaths as you slowly inhale then slowly exhale. Release the negative energy that is contributing to your fears as you exhale. Continue taking slow, deep breaths, concentrating on making the next breath even slower than the one before. 

 

As you remain calm and concentrate on breathing, you are taking control to quiet the mind. Occasionally, a disruptive thought may occur. Rather than focus on that thought and letting it overcome your mental focus, let it go. Strive to maintain a passive attitude to dismiss any thoughts that may distract you from your goal of meditation. 

 

Learning how meditation can help you overcome your fears will allow you to desensitize yourself from the internal or external stimuli that brings on the feelings of fear. You become aware of the impending thought or concern and are able to control your mental focus in order to detach yourself from it. 

 

Overcoming Fear: How to Challenge Yourself Everyday

Fear serves a useful function. It keeps us safe by placing us in a high state of alert when we sense danger. But irrational or illogical fear can also limit our lives and keep us from rising to new challenges. In those with anxiety disorder, the normal nervous system response to a threat is easily aroused and difficult to subdue. Fear can cause physical and psychological symptoms that sabotage our goals.

 

Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to challenge yourself and lean into fear.

 

Recognize that fear is a universal emotion, one you are vulnerable to. In her book “The Gifts of Imperfection, researcher Dr. Brene Brown said that, “Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” 

 

The first step is to be honest and admit you are afraid. The second step is to choose to be brave. Realize that fear is mostly a learned response and it’s possible to recondition a fear response. Fear is controlled by the amygdala, a set of neurons located in the brain's medial temporal lobe. 

 

When the amygdala receives a danger warning, logical or not, stress hormones begin to flood the body. We learn to fear based on our experiences, but we can de-program fear by confronting the things we are most afraid of. Talk about fear to defuse it. 

 

People who are afraid of public speaking, for example, attend Toastmasters International meetings where they share and confront their fears with like-minded individuals. Trick your mind by imagining a best case/worst case scenario. You dread asking for a raise and your mind races with awful possibilities. 

 

One way to calm such fears is to imagine the best case/worst case scenarios. First imagine that all will go as well as it possibly could. You ask for a raise and the boss realize you deserve twice your current salary. Great. Then imagine the worst possible scenario. He’s so insulted you asked that he fires you on the spot. 

 

The reality will probably fall somewhere in between. And that’s generally the case. Remember the "10" rule. You can do most things for 10 minutes even if you fear that you will be able to finish the entire project. Tell yourself you can make it through 10 minutes, and then tell yourself that again until the job is done.

 

If fear overwhelms your life and prevents you from challenging yourself, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. 

The Issue of Adult Self-Esteem

Often the issue of self-esteem is discussed within the context of a teenager or a child. However, the fact remains that issues of self-esteem can permeate well into adulthood as well. 

 

The main difference is that children and teenagers are often cut a little slack for their poor self-esteem and its resultant problems. On the other hand, with adults that forgiveness is not always as forthcoming because they should “know better”. 

 

How can they know better if they were never taught those skills in the first place? Adults may not have had role modeled to them a healthy example of self-esteem from their parents simply because they weren’t in any position to give it, but it’s never too late. As adults there are many places and resources you can tap into to learn healthy self-esteem habits, at any age. Search online, visit your local library or bookstore or even consider counseling to talk about it.

 

Adult self-esteem issues often revolve around the individual seeking to overcompensate for his/her perceived failings. They become obsessed with the notion people will look down on them unless they achieve or excel. Drive and motivation are good things because they prompt us to stretch beyond our capabilities, however there are times when this is in excess and too much of a good thing isn’t all good.

 

For example, low adult self-esteem issues can lead someone to swing to the extreme and become a workaholic. This way, the individual can draw a sense of accomplishment through the time invested in work. Such an approach may work to some degree but what is sacrificed in the process? At what price does this come? Time with family and friends, lost opportunities to strengthen and fortify bonds and create memories. Memories that never happened because of absence and life, sadly moves on without them.

 

Another symptom of adult self-esteem issues is overcompensating by becoming argumentative, narcissistic or developing the “know it all” attitude which is self-destructive costing them precious relationships, because after all, who wants to be around someone like that?

 

There are ways adults can rebuild their self-esteem and they can kick start it with something as basic as making a list of the things that are positive in their lives, although at first this may seem challenging and they might require the assistance of a friend to help them compile their list. Write down what you have achieved in your life no matter how little the achievement was. Make a list of your strong points and eliminate the weak aspects of your life. Once you have done this you will begin to feel better about yourself. 

 

However, doing this exercise does not offer a long-term solution but will provide immediate relief. When it comes to a long-term fix, a person needs to sit down and think about how they can change the way they view life, how they react to the people and situations around them.

 

Clear out the negative thinking patterns and replace them with constructive positive thoughts and each time you find yourself reverting back to negative habits, immediately disrupt the old train of thinking and fill it with something positive. 

 

If you want a more detailed plan on how to increase your own self-esteem then grab your free report now and find out more.

 

Taking An Online Test To Determine Your Self-Esteem

A new fad on the internet is the ability to take a series of psychological tests to determine your current mood or mental state. 

 

A common questionnaire in this vein is the “Low Self-esteem Test” and some may wonder how valid it is. Many people take these tests for fun while others take them out of serious concern for their own well-being. While it certainly does not hurt to take such tests, you need to be aware that these tests are not the equivalent as an evaluation by a mental health professional. While it’s good to take note of the results from a low self-esteem test you also need to take it with a grain of salt and here’s the reason why.

 

First and foremost, the average run of the mill low self-esteem test you’re bound to find online is not necessarily a scientific one. The questions may be drawn from different academic psychological resources but they are often not the official test employed by mental health professionals to make a proper valid diagnosis. This means the results of a low self-esteem test may not reveal the true severity of low self-esteem as some of the tests are not sensitive or detailed enough to give a true and accurate result. Also, the factors and underlying causes of the problem may not be thoroughly reflected in the average low self-esteem test online. 

 

Additionally, when you take a low self-esteem test in the offices of a professional you will be asked the questions orally by the person administering the test. This means the administrating representative can gauge your reactions, inflections, and tone. The administering official can ask follow up questions in order to clarify responses. This further aids in the ability to help the person taking the test. Further tests can be performed to clarify other areas of concern. Why is all this done during a low self-esteem test? so that the core of the issue can be unveiled leading to the proper course of treatment. 

 

Does that mean if you take a low self-esteem test online you should not take the results seriously? On the contrary, you would want to take any low self-esteem test seriously when it presents results that may be a cause for concern. However, it is best to avoid taking steps that would be considered self-diagnoses and seek guidance from a qualified therapist or mental health care professional.

 

If you would like to know more about your self-esteem and steps that you can take to improve yours or that of a loved one then feel free to get your free report now to find out how.

 

Understanding Teenage Self-Esteem

Teenage self-esteem can be a complex issue in itself and with the age factor alone, a teenager lacks the necessary life skills and experiences necessary to deal with the world’s sometimes harsh realities. 

 

The social circles that teens thrive, or falter in will play a significant role in their development. An impressionable teenager’s outlook on life will often be based on perceptions driven more by pop culture than real world experience meaning that teenage self-esteem can often be boosted by the wrong influences. 

 

So, what can you do to get through to your teen and help to build up their self-esteem?

 

Even though it’s obvious, never assume your teenager knows just how much you love them. Daily expressions are encouraged to hit home this point. Let them know they are loved, that they are capable of achieving anything and that you appreciate and value them. Never put off saying it because you assume they already know. One extra “I love you”, won’t cost you anything but can really set the stage for your teenagers’ day.

 

Be aware of your actions and change your home’s environment. Your teenagers need to know they are safe and secure and this is why you should always strive to create a peaceful home for them to live and flourish in. Be aware of your actions in front of your teenagers, they are very perceptive and sensitive and know when something’s wrong.

 

It’s difficult to bolster teenage self-esteem in a home when conflicts are taking place around them. What happens within the home echoes outside of it in the form of anxiety, nerves and expressions of anger. They tend to internalize these conflicts and often end up carrying the blame and guilt well into their adult years.

 

If an argument ensues, take it to another room or pick a more appropriate time, then ensure that your teenager sees the resolution. Life isn’t always rose colored or perfect but if they can see that positive outcomes can arise from conflict then it’s arming them with life skills for the future. You give them an alternative to handling their own resolutions rather than with anger or violence.

 

At the core of teenage self-esteem is the need for positive reinforcement which encourages them to excel, to do better and to reach their potential. Spend more time accentuating the positive things they do rather than to nitpick at the negatives because your teenager, although you can’t see it with the naked eye takes it more to heart than you realize. So, resist the temptation to berate your teenager, it will shake their confidence. Always think of the impact your words will have on their future, because it will.

 

So, there you have it, a few great tips to help build teenage self-esteem. 

 

If you would like to help strengthen your own self-esteem or that of your teenagers, you can grab your free report now showing you how.