How to Turn Fear to Your Advantage Part 2
Consider these five steps in the process of using fear to fuel your actions.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part two of a three-part series about the impact of fear and happiness on your ability to achieve success. Read part one here.
In my recent article on fear, I focused on the importance of recognizing when fear is holding you hostage. If you cannot recognize and manage your fears, you are vulnerable to them. In this article, I will explore the ability to recognize and manager your fears and use them to fuel success.
You may find yourself asking how fear can contribute to success, but if you stop and think about it for a few minutes, you will probably realize it is true. Without fear, we may never learn the value of testing ourselves and emerging victorious. Of course, we do not want to experience fear associated with violence or disaster, but the ability to identify and manage fear can be useful in all situations.
A Trigger for Action
To use fear to your advantage, you must have an awareness and appreciation of it: what it is, what it means, where it comes from and, most importantly, what you can do about it. In the previous article, I talked about the long-term impact that failing to manage your fear can have on your body and brain as a result of a buildup of unhealthy chemicals. Short-term fears produce some of these same chemicals, but if you do not let these chemicals build up, you can use of them as a trigger for action.
Three important questions:
- Very few people who have really succeeded have avoided facing fears, but when they did face them, they did not let them get in the way of success. Stop and ask yourself what you think about the idea of fear as an effective motivator. Can you think of any examples?
2. What about the scenario in which you learn that your health is under attack by your lifestyle? Can the fear of the loss of your health spur you to change your lifestyle?
3. What if you fear the loss of your job? Can you use that fear to motivate you to upgrade your education, gain new skills or look for a job that you would enjoy more?
If you have lost control of your fear reaction, then your fears may get the better of you and you cannot make the needed changes. But if you recognize a fear for what it is (a warning sign of danger and not the danger itself) and use the physical and cognitive reactions to push yourself ahead, you may be able to use it as a motivator. It is not always easy, but it is not as difficult as you may think. It requires you to have a solid ability to quickly recognize and act on your fears, such that they do not hold you down and instead turn into your advantage.
5 Steps to Take
Consider these five steps in the process of using fear to fuel your actions:
1) Learn to recognize the signs. Understand the physical and psychological signs of fear, so you are prepared to manage them and not be managed by them.
2) Develop skills to control your reactions. Techniques such as cognitive reflection, meditation, deep breathing, reframing (thinking differently), gaining perspective and even going for a walk, listening to music, watching a good movie or spending time with people you trust are effective strategies.
3) Clarify the root of the fear. Consider Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, which suggests we have basic physiological and safety needs, and higher-order needs such as belonging, esteem and actualization. Pinpointing your fears is a useful exercise. For example, if you are afraid of losing your business, determine if your fear is a result of a loss of your pride or a realistic fear that your family will become homeless. Gaining perspective can help you identify which fears are worth prioritizing and which are not.
4) Determine what you have direct control over and what you do not. Remember that you can only change yourself or your perspective; you cannot change what is beyond your control. If you cannot stop the failure of your business or your spouse from leaving, consider what you are able to control and then identify steps to take back control.
5) Change your reaction to fear by associating your physical and emotional feelings of fear with positive actions. This cognitive pairing will need to be very conscious at first. When you feel your heart beat faster or doubt creeping in, tell yourself to change your breathing, go for a jog or meditate and then remind yourself what you are in control of and the actions you are taking to resolve the situation. Retrain your body and mind to react differently, so you can put yourself back in the drivers seat of your life.
Did you know that the simple act of smiling, of standing up and raising your arms in the air and saying Yes, I can! will begin to change the way your brain perceives your situation? Do not hesitate to take action and tap into your support systems by rallying your friends and supporters. You do not have to tell them why; just invite them to take a yoga class or go climb a mountain.
By being mindful of what is going on inside and around youand how you are reacting and behavingyou can learn to recognize and identify your fear, understand and manage your own reactions and regain control. Once you do this, you can turn your reaction to fear into motivators for future success.
Related content:
Part 1
Can You Identify When Fear Is Holding You Down?
Winning Customers By Calming Fears
Sink or Swim…It’s All About Adaption
Great Communication Yields Impact for Small Business Growth
Tara Orchard is a coach, trainer and consultant who applies her insights into people and understanding of psychology to facilitate performance improvements for individuals, teams and business. Working with business owners and team leaders she uses personality typing and social and emotional intelligence assessment to consult on relationship and team management, employee development, screening and hiring, social networking and customer communications. She is currently working on a book about the psychology of successful social networking. Tara invites you to connect with her on LinkedIn, Career-coach Canada (www.career-coach.ca) or Careeradex
