Being afraid is normal, and we all have our own fears. They paralyze us, and leave us unable to use our full potential. However, there are ways to combat them, or at least diminish their power, and use them as stimuli to become stronger in life.

Kerry Ressler, a psychiatrist at Emory University, explains:

“ Getting over a fear is an active process that requires learning and retraining the brain. Essentially, you are training higher-level brain areas to overcome signals from areas like the amygdala so that you can put threats into a more realistic context.”

Here are five simple ways to help you conquer your fears:

1. Nourish your mind and body, by learning something new every day, reading for pleasure and education, regularly exercising, and eating healthy foods.

2. Meditation, or any other form of relaxation for the mind and body, will help you put it all into perspective, release negativity, and focus on your strengths and aims.

3. You need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to grow, strengthen, and improve. Each day, make sure you make a change in your life, and it doesn’t have to be a big one.

4. Don’t ignore fear. Deal with it, focus on it, and face it, and it will shrink. Remind yourself of your value out loud. Every day, in front of your mirror, tell yourself that you are smart, strong, brave, and beautiful. Soon, these affirmations will be a reality.

5. Show yourself that you are bold. Accept a major challenge, and start achieving your goals. Forget about the two most discouraging words out there: “I can’t”. Try instead.

Many of us fail because they are afraid of failure, others fail because they are afraid of success.

Remember, the fastest way to failure is to never try.

Sources:
medium.com
www.forbes.com
www.brainfacts.org