3 Strategies to Eliminate Fear’s Stranglehold

I often say that happiness is the absence of toxic emotions.

Perhaps THE most toxic and debilitating emotion is FEAR.

Fear can stop us from doing the things we need to do to reach our goals.

Has fear ever kept you from:

Having a difficult conversation?
Making a big decision?
Reaching out to potential clients, customers, or partners?
Giving a presentation to a group of people?

We all deal with some level of fear daily.

It ranges from a feeling of unease or anxiety all the way up to a full-blown panic attack.

And like other toxic emotions, it can hurt our performance in business and generally pollute our quality of life.

Where fear comes from

Fear arises when we contemplate the possibility of future harm or loss.

Harm to our physical self or other physical possessions or things we use/need
Loss/change of existing conditions, such as money, job, marriage etc.

But the STRANGE thing about fear is that it is created by us in our own minds.

It is the anticipation of a FUTURE event.
It is what you imagine MIGHT happen.
It is usually the worst-case scenario.

Perhaps you’ve heard fear described this way:

Future
Events
Appearing
Real

We’re the culprit. It’s our own minds that are creating that fear. Now that you know that, let’s look at 3 strategies to greatly reduce or even eliminate fear.

How to reduce or eliminate fear

Use the Serenity Method

This is the most important tool in my toolkit.

It works with all the toxic emotions and is especially helpful with fear.

You can get your free copy with step-by-step instructions here: Serenity Method E-Book

Adopt an “I cannot fail” Mindset

This one is a great antidote to the “fear of failure.”

We tend to be our own harshest critics, beating ourselves up for not succeeding at everything all the time. This can be enough to keep us from even trying.

I have developed a mindset that tells me I CANNOT FAIL…

…IF I do a great job of preparing and give it my best shot.

Try this as a mantra: “I may lose, BUT I will never fail.”

If you catch yourself beating yourself up, remind yourself: “I prepared well and tried my best.”

Stay in the present. Avoid “future tripping”

Future-tripping is also called anticipatory anxiety. It refers to those times when we get so lost in worrying about the future and playing out different future scenarios (often the most doom and gloom-filled ones) that we lose out on today.

More on future tripping here: future tripping

Since fear is based on assumptions of what MAY happen in the FUTURE, staying focused in the present can ease or eliminate anxiety.

When you practice the Serenity Method, prepare well, and stay present – you can feel relaxed – knowing that you’ve done all that you can do.

You can expect GREAT relief and improved quality of life when you use these strategies.

If you’d like some support increasing your quality of life – consider getting a coach! You can learn more about coaching here: Coaching with Howard Rambin or click the button below to book a complimentary call.