Happy Halloween! – Don’t be scurd. Fear is a liar!
I remember as a young child the one house in the neighborhood that would just scare us to the point of tears. I literally thought I was going to die. There were mummies, grim reapers, vampires, witches, and ghosts. It was smoke filled, with flashing lights and dark. There was howling, scary laughter and screaming. I remember I was pretty freaked out. Needless to say the next year we bypassed that house. I think I must have been about 5-7 years old and I remember this was probably my first thoughts and feelings of FEAR.
As we grow older it seems we become fearful and anxious about more and more things. Maybe due to a bad experience or even a lack of knowledge and understanding. I know for sure I am fearful of Evil. It scares me most because I know it’s real. I’m not a big fan of scary movies involving Evil plots. However I get the same feelings when I think about finances. How am I going to support my family if my income drops? I also have a fear of tight spaces or claustrophobia (not a big fan of elevators and enclosed water slides). As a swimmer my whole life I have a fear of drowning. I just can’t imagine it, but It still scares me.
For many people fear and anxiety go hand in hand. Many people have a fear of speaking in public – the #1 fear according to research. Some have a fear and/or anxiety of being in public. While others have a fear of flying in an airplane.
So how do we cope or overcome our fears and anxiety?
There are many, many ways to manage, cope and even overcome your fears and anxiety. For some it’s small moments of exposure, increased over time. For others it’s using some techniques in preparing for the fearful event. I use the 7/11 breathing technique when I feel fearful or anxious. Take a deep breath through your nose for 7 seconds and then exhale/blow out through your mouth (like through a straw) for 11 seconds. It has really helped. Fear and anxiety can feel as if they ‘just happen to us’, but we have much more control than we realize. AWARE is an acronym standing for:
A: Accept the fear and anxiety. Don’t try to fight it.
W: Watch the fear and anxiety. Just watch it and when you notice it, scale your level of fear and start to breathe longer on the out-breath.
A: Stands for ‘Act normally’. Carry on talking or behaving as if nothing is different. This sends a powerful signal to your unconscious mind that its over-dramatic response is actually not needed because nothing that unusual is going on. Like fire fighters coming out and seeing that no emergency is happening and so going back to the fire station.
R: Repeat the above steps in your mind if necessary.
E: Expect the best. One of the greatest feelings in life is the realization that you can control fear much more than you thought possible.
I hope you try this the next time you feel that fear and anxiety coming on.
Another great way to overcome fear and anxiety is to work with a good Counselor. I can help!
Remember… FEAR IS A LIAR!
Ohh and don’t trick or treat on Elm street tonight. I’ve heard it’s pretty scary!!😧
#imnotscurd #fear #anxiety #Halloween #aware #Counseling