How to Overcome Your Fears

Fear can be a useful tool, if it cautions us to avoid situations that could be dangerous. However, if it keeps us from doing things we want and need to do, it can be harmful.

Fear can cause a number of physical responses, including a faster heart rate, breathing fast, sweating, and shaking. It can also make us feel anxious or uncomfortable.

Fear of public speaking

People often rank fear of public speaking as their biggest fear, even more than the fear of heights or snakes. This can be a serious hindrance to personal and professional growth, as you might be reluctant to take on new projects or volunteer to speak at work.

The key to overcoming this fear is to know that you can control your anxiety. You can train your brain to react differently to the jitters that arise before you give a speech. You can practice by recording yourself, analyzing the results and challenging negative thoughts. You can also use tools to manage the nervousness, such as breathing exercises, deep-breathing techniques and visualization.

Robert, for example, found hypnotherapy useful in determining why he was afraid of public speaking. He learned that his subconscious mind had logged a bad experience as a child when he mispronounced a word in front of classmates.

Fear of heights

For some people, a fear of heights can be very debilitating. It can make them miss out on work opportunities, or avoid going on vacations where they might have to go high up. They may also avoid activities with a high risk of falling, such as hiking or rock climbing.

People develop a fear of heights for several reasons, including a traumatic experience or observing others getting anxious around heights. It is also possible that they are simply genetically predisposed to anxiety and phobias.

If a fear of heights is impacting your life, consider getting some professional help. Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), can teach you to challenge and reframe negative thoughts about heights. You can also try out graded exposure exercises, which involve gradually exposing yourself to heights over time. For example, you might start with a two-story balcony and then move up to hiking a hill.

Fear of snakes

It is normal to feel nervous around snakes, but if this fear is persistent, excessive and unreasonable you may have ophidiophobia. A mental health professional will be able to determine if your fear is a phobia, based on whether it interferes with your life and causes you distress. They may ask questions about traumatic or negative experiences you have had that could have contributed to your phobia.

Specific phobias usually develop in childhood or adolescence and can be caused by a variety of things, including hearing or seeing others react negatively to snakes and internalising this information. They can also be triggered by a bad experience or genetic predisposition.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is structured psychotherapy that can help you understand and control your thoughts and feelings, and unlearn the negative messages that cause your fear of snakes. This type of talk therapy can be combined with exposure therapy, in which you gradually confront your fears by looking at pictures of harmless snakes or visiting a pet store or zoo and then slowly increasing the amount of time you spend near a snake. Hypnotherapy can also be used in conjunction with CBT to reduce your symptoms and teach you relaxation and visualisation techniques that will help you manage your phobia.

Fear of spiders

A fear of spiders is common, but if you experience significant panic and anxiety when confronted with these eight-legged creatures, it may be more than just a normal reaction. This condition is called arachnophobia, and it falls under the category of specific phobias. Some people with this disorder are so terrified of spiders that they cannot function normally in their lives, and they avoid places where they might see them.

Some psychiatrists and therapists treat this disorder by using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy or desensitization. They might also prescribe medication to reduce anxiety and a heightened state of awareness. In addition to these treatments, there are other ways you can deal with your fear of spiders. These include learning about them and practicing relaxation techniques. You can also talk to friends and family about your fears. Lastly, you should consider joining a support group for people with arachnophobia.

Fear of change

Some fears are healthy, for example, a fear of snakes could save your life by alerting you to potential danger. However, other fears are unhealthy and irrational. They can keep you from achieving what you want in life. Fear of change is a common one that can lead people to stay in jobs they hate or avoid taking on new challenges. This fear can also cause anxiety and prevent them from enjoying the present moment.

Many people fear change because of the loss of control. They are worried that the changes might not work out and will affect their quality of life. Those who have experienced trauma may find it particularly hard to cope with change.

Talking to a friend or family member about your fear can help you deal with it. You can also try hypnotherapy or other types of therapy to address the root cause of your fear.

Fear of failure

Fear of failure can be a very difficult phobia to overcome. Often, it can be linked to low self-esteem or depression and requires professional help to overcome. However, redefining what failure means and finding ways to move forward can help you conquer this fear.

Various factors can cause you to have a fear of failure, including negative past experiences and societal pressures. A fear of failure may also be a result of perfectionism or an intense desire for perfection in everything you do, which can lead to anxiety and prevent you from taking risks.

To overcome your fear of failure, try writing out all the ways you can imagine something going wrong in one column and a contingency plan for each. This will show you that not all of your worst fears are likely to happen and give you confidence to take risks in the future.