How To Reframe Fear in 10 Steps

Oftentimes we have a fear of the feeling of fear itself because we were educated on it the wrong way. So here are 10 ways to immediately change the way you think about fear.

1. Fear is just a feeling. It can’t hurt you. It comes and goes. In certain situations, once it comes, and you feel it in its entirety, it leaves and healing takes place. But sometimes you just have to feel it first before it goes away. It’s often important to practice what

2. Fear is a call-to-action. It comes as a notification, where the very moment you figure out what it is that you need to do and you start doing it, the fear goes away.

3. Stress is fear in disguise. When you get stressed, you’re really getting caught up in the what-ifs or maybe-I-can’ts. Sometimes it means you need to start something. Other times it means you need to stop something. You know what else is fear in disguise? Greed. People who act greedily are afraid of losing their material items, so they stock-pile and hoard.

4. We often get stuck in our fear cycles because we listen to society more than we listen to our own hearts. If our heart is telling us that something isn’t for us, or that we need to do something else, but society, a family member, or a friend says otherwise, we sometimes tend to battle with ourselves, trying to resist what we deep down know is the right thing to do for ourselves. So in order for us to get ourselves to listen to ourselves, we have to increase our trust in ourselves and start doubting the many things we hear and see on the internet and on tv.

5. Fear is absolutey not as limited as the recycled inspirational quotes you see repeatedly swimming on social media. You keep seeing the same definitions of fear not because they’re the only truth, but rather, because it’s trending on the algorithm and it more likely to make their post go viral, hence, more likely to make that poster some money. Another reason you don’t see other points of view or definitions of fear on the internet is because many folks are afraid of posting something that is different, and afraid of looking different. Another reason is because many folks are using ChatGPT to write posts. Open a book on fear, and you’ll be amazed at the myriad other new ways to experience the topic.

6. Sometimes the best way to overcome fear of the unknown is delving into the unknown even deeper. Because sometimes the suspected poison is really the cure. Sometimes you just have to make your life more foreign. Challenge yourself to go further into the deep, dark tunnel. Exploration. Because sometimes the best way to fight is to find out that it’s not a fight at all. Really, fear is a call to grow. When you resist growth, that’s when fear because not so temporary and a truly painful persistant tapping on your shoulder. And sometimes in certain moments the only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it.

7. Because fear really is a guider. Fear is actually guiding your towards your dream, taking you down an abstract path that doesn’t fit into society’s narrative.

8. Fear is the way you stretch your faith and make it grow. This makes it very valuable. These are moments for growth. This is when you get to reach inside yourself and explore new strengths.

9. Not only will you feel fear at some point when you face the unknown, so will everyone else.

10. Finding a way and pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness.

Bonus: affirmations can really help you tap into a more powerful version of yourself.

“I am beautiful, I am strong, I am badass, I am that girl, I am the man, I am powerful and I love it.”