FEAR – A barrier to building resilience!
Last month, on a Monday morning, I got up feeling feverish. My immediate thought was, what if it is covid? Immediately, there was panic & fear! I was anxious, restless and already experiencing stress.
I measured my temperature and it was 100.5°F. By now, I had already made up my mind that it was covid, isolated myself from the family, asked everyone to be extra careful, called the lab for a covid test, took a crocin and tried to go back to sleep. There were so many thoughts in my mind….. how can it happen to me? I have not even gone anywhere, followed all safety measure and yet I got it! The whole day and night went like that and the next day morning I got my report which stated ……. covid not detected…… I heaved a sigh of relief and with my fear & fever both gone, I felt fine.
The question here is …. could I have avoided this one day of fear, panic, anxiety & stress? It was so irrational because even if it was covid, I would have just had to isolate myself, take medicines and it would be fine. But well, it originated in my mind …. and that too, in an exaggerated manner!
Fear is what many of us experience when faced with situations where there is uncertainty. Most often, the fear is irrational but it does not allow us to function normally and literally paralyses us.
The funny thing is that we do not fear what we actually should, for e.g. talking on the mobile or texting while driving, not using seat belts, smoking, drinking alcohol, eating high calorie foods, poor lifestyle! All these can lead to fatal consequences and yet, we have no fear in indulging in all this!
What can we do to deal with FEAR? As most fears are irrational, if we are able to rationalize our fear, we will be able to get over it quickly. Following the steps given below will help deal with fear…..
When the fear is acute…
1. Firstly, regain control over your emotions by becoming self-aware of what is happening and quickly accepting it. Regulate your breath by taking a few deep breaths, drink a glass of water, relax a little, meditate or simply stepping out in fresh air will help in regulating your emotions.
2. Remember, it all begins with your thoughts and hence think differently…. Have faith in yourself, in your ability to manage any situation well. Once you change your narrative, you will act differently and the result will be that you will be able to now deal with your fear.
3. Follow the above steps in any situation where you experience fear and gradually this will become a habit with you and now you will be a person who can overcome fear!
When the fear is chronic….
1. Learn EFT – Emotional Freedom technique which is known to have excellent results in helping people manage their chronic fears
2. Consult a counsellor
Staying with your fear will lead to stress. Let your faith that you can deal with any situation be stronger than your fear. This will also help you become resilient.
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