5 Ways To Overcome Fear

I’ve been experiencing a lot of fear lately as I dive into creativity and open up to new opportunities. Ironically, I had a lot of fear about writing this article.

Fear is an interesting feeling. It can paralyze you or it can fuel you. It can keep you stuck or tell you where you need to go next.

Taking steps into our fears is by definition uncomfortable.

So why should we do it?

Throughout the years, I crossed many fear doors. I studied Chinese for a year in Beijing. I went on a 10-day silent meditation retreat. I committed to a long distance-relationship. I traveled alone in Asia to very remote places.

To be clear, these fear doors all frightened the hell out me. But I knew I had to open them to access my higher potential.

Think about it. Some of your greatest achievements were the result of doing something you were very afraid of.

As a society, we have grown accustomed to keeping these doors shut. Sadly enough, our comfortable lives are what stop us from exploring what we are capable of.

But the magic happens when you cross your fear doors. You discover parts of yourself you didn’t know existed. As you follow your bliss beyond your fears, you expand in unimaginable ways.

But for this, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable.

Fear is partly external, partly personal. We can learn to recognize which fears are inherited and which ones come from our personal experience.

Some of our deepest fears come from our family and the society we grew up in. Fears around money, death, recognition, can be driven from outside of us.

Our personal traumas also leave a trace of fear inside our body. Their purpose is to protect us from further traumas. But at some point we must decide if these fears are helping us in our evolution.

Overcoming fear is necessary if we want to grow. Because behind every fear lies an abundance of untapped potential.

But it takes a lot of courage to go beyond our fears as they hide strong beliefs about ourselves. Many dark truths lie behind them waiting to surface.

As I’ve had to go through many fear doors in my evolution, I found several practices that helped me (and that I’m using now).

Fear is an energy we can use to our advantage. Often, our mind perpetuates our fears with clever explanations that keep us safe. But we can learn to shift this mental pattern.

One way I like to do this is to lean into the fear instead of avoiding it. The idea is this — whenever you have to face a situation that triggers fear (ex: a presentation), repeat several times “I’m excited” and “Bring it on”. Do not try to avoid pain or fear. Lean into it. Feel the excitement flowing in you. And take a step towards your destiny.

Fear and excitement are closely linked. If you tell yourself “I’m excited” and “Bring it on” next time you face a scary situation, you can use fear’s energy at your advantage.

The basic fundamentals are:

On top of these you can also explore:

Of course you can focus on one of these fundamentals at the same time. But when you use them together you become unstoppable!

If your fear seems too daunting, focus on taking small, manageable steps. When we get overwhelmed by strong emotions like fear or terror, it’s a sign that we may need to slow down. Remember many fears are associated with past traumas that are not overcome easily.

The key is to get yourself moving forward. To create momentum, focus on taking one step outside of your comfort zone. Take that action that scares you, even if it is very small. But don’t wait for too long to act. The more actions we take in the face of our fear, the weaker it gets with time.

This is how I am dealing with my creative fears. I started writing a few minutes every day with different exercises. After a few weeks, I felt ready to explore further and started to share what I wrote. One step at the time.

We do not have to face our fears alone. Everyone experiences fear, it is part of our humanity. Asking for support is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that you value and respect yourself.

And if you are dealing with very traumatic fears, consider seeing a specialist. I’ve done so in the past and it was incredibly helpful.

If you are scared to create the life of your dreams, surround yourself with people that support you. As I take on my creative journey, I joined a mastermind, and it’s been life-changing to have their support every week.

We are stronger in collaboration with others. Do not be afraid to ask for help.

My final tip to overcome fear is to be curious and experiment. Release the pressure you put on yourself. Facing our fears is hard. Try something new you’ve wanted to do for a long time. Have fun without taking it too seriously.

Allowing yourself to be curious and playful, might seem foolish. I thought so for a long time. But in reality, it helps you break past beliefs in a much more gentle way.

Overcoming your fears brings more joy and excitement into life. So think about it. What’s one thing you’re afraid of, but that you would love to try? How can you take a little step outside of your comfort zone?

Fear isn’t necessarily a bad thing, we’ve just led ourselves to believe it. If instead of running backward, we take steps towards our fears, we are getting closer to what we are capable of.

Think back to fear doors you crossed in the past, the ones that led you to your greatest achievements. What came out of them?

Then focus on now.

What fear door are you standing in front of today?

What’s on the other side?

Let’s walk through it.

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