Do not let Fear control you!

Fear.  We all have it,  fear is really a coping mechanism,  the flight or fight mentality to protect the body (keep us safe), but I think we also have more fear installed or conditioned in us than we have ever before, we are more stressed, which means producing more stress hormones in our body.

To produce the fight-or-flight response, the hypothalamus gland activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system which initiates adrenaline into the blood stream. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances your brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. You don't want too much cortisol in your body.

We all are creatures of habit.  If we haven't stepped far out of our comfort zone the likely chance of us actually doing so is slim to none.  Not impossible, just slim. We try to get from A to B and that might be fine but trying to really break out of our comfort zone to C is quite a scary thought, as we haven't been there before, what is in store for us, and why do we fear it so?  Because we fear the unknown, we don't have that in our memory, we don't know how to react, so we stay where it is safe (but still yearn for change). For some it could be travelling to a new country, flying in a plane, climbing a mountain, giving up smoking, running a 10km charity run, losing 10lbs, eating healthier foods, giving up sugar... the list goes on and on.

Break free of the habits and you will fear less. Achieving one thing at a time is key to stepping further out of our comfort zone.  Once you have conquered this fear, you will notice other doors opening and opportunities to squash other fears will appear.  Falling on your face is part of change, you have to fall to succeed.  Falling isn't failure, it shows that you have guts to try.  My favourite quote has always been this:-

I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.

Michael Jordan

 

It might seem safe sitting in your comfort zone, but you won't be truly happy, you will always feel like something is missing, so plan out what you want to achieve in life, plan out how you will conquer these fears, then put your plan into motion.  One day at a time.  Do a vision board to stick somewhere where you only can see it, to remember why you want to achieve. Find support around you, positive support, remember people will only react to your actions, they speak MUCH louder than words.  Reach out to others who have achieved similar goals to you and ask them "what was your main motivation".  Do not doubt yourself, give yourself the kind of advice and support you would so freely give to others.

There will be fears in life that you might not want to conquer, mine involve sharks and heights.  I never want to swim in a shark tank, but will swim in the ocean knowing that they are out there and I am in their backyard & love their sense of freedom.  I love climbing mountains, love being up high, but do not ever want to do a bungee jump. 

But other fears CAN be overcome. You have the power within you, you just haven't learnt how to tap into it yet, once you do it is a great gift and you will feel amazing, in control and able to change other areas of your life. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and WANT to change.

Have you EVER heard someone who has achieved greatness say "I wish I could go back to the scared person I was?" neither have I.  I have those voices in my head doubting me and then I look at the things I have achieved that I never thought I could and use that strength to push me further.

* Write down what you want to achieve
* Take action
* Visualise it with pictures on a board and also mental visions of how you will look, feel when you achieve this goal
* Get in touch with someone who had the fear you did and managed to push through it
* Perspective - stop focusing on the negative
* Don't be afraid, you will achieve so much!
* Find positive support in others
* Use the down days to find strength - falling down or having a bad day is great for re-assessing things, come out each time stronger
* Have faith in yourself

So what do you want to conquer first, the first thing to pop in your head, DO!