Quite recently I have set myself the task of attempting to overcome my fears. I began by analysing the nature of nervousness and fear, and here's what I've found:
Fear and nervousness are anticipatory.
In other words, fear is what you feel BEFORE the event occurs. It is what you feel when you think AHEAD. Moreover, fear is usually imposed by a PAST experience.
Let's say you are afraid of approaching a girl. As you prepare yourself, you run the possible outcomes through your mind or you relate to past experiences. Here's where the fear kicks in.
And yet, regardless of the outcome, you don't feel nervous AFTER the event has occurred.
The solution:
Refrain from thinking what you WILL do or what WILL happen as a result. Lock your focus in the PRESENT. Think about what you are doing as you are doing it. As soon as you learn to do this, you are able to block out anticipatory fears and past experiences during this moment.
Have you ever been so immersed in a book, a film or a game that you completely block out your daily pressures and anxieties? Learn to immerse yourself in your actions this way - become aware of your posture, breathing, movements, sound of your voice, the words you speak - and you won't have enough attention left to think about fear or nervousness.
If stuntment and daredevils sat around thinking about what could go wrong, they too would be deterred by their fear. Yet they don't suppress fear, they ignore it. They adhere to the old "Live for the moment" philosophy. So stop planning ahead and act spontaneously!
Fear and nervousness are anticipatory.
In other words, fear is what you feel BEFORE the event occurs. It is what you feel when you think AHEAD. Moreover, fear is usually imposed by a PAST experience.
Let's say you are afraid of approaching a girl. As you prepare yourself, you run the possible outcomes through your mind or you relate to past experiences. Here's where the fear kicks in.
And yet, regardless of the outcome, you don't feel nervous AFTER the event has occurred.
The solution:
Refrain from thinking what you WILL do or what WILL happen as a result. Lock your focus in the PRESENT. Think about what you are doing as you are doing it. As soon as you learn to do this, you are able to block out anticipatory fears and past experiences during this moment.
Have you ever been so immersed in a book, a film or a game that you completely block out your daily pressures and anxieties? Learn to immerse yourself in your actions this way - become aware of your posture, breathing, movements, sound of your voice, the words you speak - and you won't have enough attention left to think about fear or nervousness.
If stuntment and daredevils sat around thinking about what could go wrong, they too would be deterred by their fear. Yet they don't suppress fear, they ignore it. They adhere to the old "Live for the moment" philosophy. So stop planning ahead and act spontaneously!
