I used to be so scared of public speaking that when I had to do presentations in front of the class in high school, my voice would get high pitched and shake the whole time.
It got so bad that I would even get nervous ordering food at restaurants in front of my own family and friends.
Then in college, I took a class on public speaking and learned that it was a skill, like riding a bike. It helped me face my fear of public speaking, overcome it, and build skills to conquer other fears.
I even learned how to stop letting fear control my life. If you’re struggling like I once did, here are 5 ways face your fears and overcome them.
1. Acknowledge Your Fear.
One way to overcome fear is to acknowledge it. I used to run away instead of acknowledge my fear because I thought that it would go away if I didn’t face it.
I found out over time that this tactic rarely worked and even made it harder to face my fear. It’s hard to acknowledge your fear because it’s super uncomfortable and can leave you feeling vulnerable.
But once you are able to acknowledge your fear and move through it, and you’ll have a better chance of overcoming it so it doesn’t control you.
2. Identify Your Limiting Beliefs.
A limiting belief is something you tell yourself that isn’t true and often holds you back from taking action or going after what you want.
For example, I didn’t go to my high school prom because I thought I would look lame showing up without a date. I rarely raised my hand in class because I didn’t think my opinions were good enough. I didn’t put myself in leadership positions because I didn’t believe I had it in me to be a leader.
The beliefs that I wasn’t good enough to show up alone to my prom, my opinions weren’t clever enough, and I wasn’t a real leader were rooted in fear and perpetuated a cycle of negativity. Learning to identify my limiting beliefs what a critical first step in overcoming my fears.
Sometimes we can be so afraid of our fears that we can’t even admit them to ourselves in the first place. And if we can’t admit them or acknowledge what they are, we’ll have a hard time overcoming them.
Identifying your limiting beliefs can help you stop this cycle. Here are some fill in the blank examples:
I am not ________ enough. Common words to fill in this blank are: smart, handsome, pretty, talented, experienced, creative, etc.
I am too ________. Another common fill in the blank for this one is: old, unattractive, weird, scared, busy, slow, etc.
The next time you have a limiting belief, just know that it is enough that you are aware of it. It’s only when you can identify a limiting belief that you can change it and then begin the process of overcoming your fear. If you want to learn more about limiting beliefs, read How To Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs.
3. Forgive Yourself.
Forgiving is letting go of something wrong that was done to you. I won’t go into details about who or what I forgave, and I haven’t forgiven every single person yet that did me wrong, but I will say that each time I did, I felt lighter.
The power that the act and the other person had over me would lose its grip and sometimes disappear completely.
Forgiveness isn’t easy and you shouldn’t do it until you’re ready to. It’s not about absolving a wrong that someone did to you. It’s about letting go and learning to process the grip that it once had on you.
Once you’re ready, forgiveness invites compassion, which can help you overcome fear.
4. Practice Mindfulness Meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is a technique that helped me practice presence by allowing my thoughts and feelings to surface without letting them control me.
I used to meditate for 15 minutes each morning but haven’t done so lately. What I’ve been able to do is practice in real time.
For example, if I’m walking and a random thought pops in my head that scares me, I allow myself to think it, feel it, and let it go.
This took me a long time to learn, so if you want to start your own practice, I highly recommend this free program online to help you practice mindfulness meditation: Palouse Mindfulness.
According to a study on mindfulness meditation, it can help to extinguish fearful associations through exposure therapy:
“This exposure provides an opportunity to learn that these stimuli are not threatening and thereby facilitate adaptive regulation of emotional responses.”
In other words, fear can be eliminated through repeated exposure to the fear. Your mind learns that the thing you’re afraid of is not a threat and you feel less scared over time.
5. Start Journaling.
I find the act of writing itself, even just putting a few words on paper, can have a calming effect on my body.
When I journal, it helps me release my thoughts and feelings. I always feel lighter and have a sense that I accomplished something meaningful.
While journaling won’t solve all your fear problems, research shows that it can help you get over your fear by exposing you to it through words on a page. Journaling can give you more clarity about your fear by helping you see your thoughts and emotions more clearly.
By writing them down, you provide a safe space for your innermost thoughts & feelings, gain more understanding of them, and help you overcome your fear through writing.
If you want to start your own journaling practice, read: How To Start Journaling And Actually Enjoy It.
If you’d like to print out a journaling guide, grab the free printable journal below and start your practice today:
Last Thoughts On Overcoming Fear.
One of the hardest and most reward things in life is to face your fears and overcome them. It’s easier said than done, but you can overcome them through simple habits like identifying limiting beliefs, practicing mindfulness meditation, and journaling.
More Ways To Overcome Fear.
If you want to take a deeper dive into what fear is, how it affects you, and even more ways to overcome it, be sure to check out: Fear in times of uncertainty and doubt and how to overcome it.
Do you have other ways to overcome fear? Please share in the comments below.
