Are you guilty of allowing fear of the unknown to stop you from manifesting your intentions?
Perhaps you have gotten into the habit of shying away from the very urges that push you to go beyond the comfort of your current reality. Only to surrender to your biggest fears, and have your mind persistently wonder what if.
Whatever the case may be, know that you are not alone. This post will outline the 7 Ways to Use Mindfulness to Conquer Fear.
The Detrimental Affects of Surrendering to Fear
Practically everyone is familiar with the disturbing nature of fear. If given the chance, practically everyone would willfully choose to opt-out of the often impenetrable stress that comes along with it.
Arising from the very things that scare us the most, fear can easily make you feel as if your life is in immediate danger. Often times the vibration of fear is so intense that you can physically feel its effects in the beat of your heart, and the rapid pace of your breath.
It literally can stress the body so much until it becomes that much harder to shift to a more relaxed state. The energy of fear is not just an isolated experience that is singularly felt within our minds. It’s a whole-body experience that permeates every organ, action, and function, of our bodies, until it fully consumes the whole of our being.
Much in the same way, we would react if we were to come face to face with a black bear, neurochemicals and adrenaline, are instinctively released shifting us into a flight or fight response in an effort to essentially fight for our lives. Mostly the fears we experience are perceived fears, which are not life-threatening in the least bit. However, physiologically it is all the same, as our bodies are not able to discern the difference.
In nature, if an animal life is in imminent danger of being eaten by an apex predator, it immediately goes into the fight or flight response and literally runs for its life. In the event that it narrowly escapes with its life intact, that same animal will go back to business as usual roaming the terrain and grazing the tundra just as if nothing had happened.
Only, we as humans collectively, ascribe to a completely different approach. Instead of living in the moment and releasing the events, experiences, and circumstances, that literally and figuratively scared the complete sh** out of us, we often hold on to it, and relive the experience time and time again. Holding onto it for dear life, identifying with it, and allowing it to consume us to the point where chronic anxiety and stress begin to arise and reside within our being. Essentially rendering us to live in constant fear of the unknown, where our minds are either quick to divert to the absolute worst-case scenario, or we stay waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop. In all, residing in the energy and intensity of fear leads us to surrender our power, rendering us to minimize ourselves by playing small out of fear of the unknown.
How Fear Makes You Play Small?
Our beliefs shape and mold our thoughts to materialize into our three-dimensional experiences. Instinctively where our attention goes our energy flows. In the case of affirmations, merely reading and repeatedly affirming your intentions without firmly believing and accepting it as truth, will not work. Whether spoken, written, or affirmed aloud, affirmations recited without belief and acceptance are but hallowed words. The more you focus on what you don’t want to happen, the more you energetically attract your greatest fears.
The more you believe with conviction that you have the worst luck, or that bad things always happen to you, the more the universe complies to grant you your wish. The universal law is no respecter of persons in that it doesn't matter what you ultimately what to manifest, it only matters what you persistently focus your awareness on. For instance, if your intention is to build a successful business, but you constantly read all of the articles on how, and why businesses fail in the first year, to the point where you intently believe that it’s destined to be your unlikely fate the universe will comply.
Being that you’re always focused on the millions of reasons why it’s so hard for a business in your field to succeed, the universe sees only the true energy of your belief which affirms on a daily basis that having a successful business is an impossibility.
When it comes to our friends, family, and acquaintances, it’s easy to mask our true beliefs and fears, by only telling them what we want them to know. However, when it comes to manifestation the universe only senses, feels and responds to our strongest vibration. Similar to the old adage, actions speak louder than words, your energy speaks louder than any words you could ever affirm. This is primarily why you can often read a person’s energy before they ever open their mouth. Hence, the universe is no respecter of persons, as it only acts in response to our energy.
Overcoming Fear
Essentially, when faced with fear, we each have two choices, face everything and run, or false evidence appearing real. Interestingly, when it comes to embarking on new ventures fear rules the roost. Aside from consciously choosing to watch some of the most frightening films which are notoriously famous for scaring the living shit out of you, absolutely no one wants to personally experience the often immobilizing effects of fear. Regardless of how intimidating and frightening, it may make us feel, the only way to conquer fear is to push through it. One of the only constants in life is change, with it comes a natural level of discomfort.
Whether we consciously elect to invite it in, or it occurs without our consent, change is an evolving constant. Whether we like it or not, we all will encounter change that will elicit a certain level of fear. Interestingly, fear is one of those things that can at times feel as if it will last an eternity. In fact, the more you avoid it, the more it feels as if it has taken up a permanent residence in your life. Despite how disheartening it may feel in the moment, everything is impermanent, as nothing remains the same.
Despite our best intentions, any and all efforts to avoid it are inevitably met with more of the same. At its worst, fear references both observed and past experiences to assess whether it has an ounce of familiarity. Essentially, the more the mind can make a prior association the more comfortable you feel. This is reminiscent of embarking into the unknown realms of entrepreneurship.
Outwardly the very thought of being your own boss, making the rules, having space for creative expression, access, and opportunity to cultivate generational wealth is enticing at best. However, there is a wide spectrum of the unknown that essentially raises more questions than answers, which is equally frightening. This presents a conundrum that can either have you cowering with fear or motivate you to push through and persevere through the density of the unknown in spite of itself.
The Beauty of Impermanence
At its worst, fear can make you feel a wide range of emotions that mostly has a tendency to stop you in your tracks, fear of doing things the wrong way, and failure are two of the most common forms that can lead you to abandon all inspirations that led you to this point. In other words, the energy of fear can render you deathly afraid to navigate the path ahead. Thankfully, fear and perseverance can both co-exist at the same time. If this were not the case, no one would be able to go beyond its limitations.
Fear in itself is not a state that needs to be completely removed. Although it has the propensity to arise and fill your being with an impenetrable sense of fear, limiting you to reside in a very restrictive space to avoid the discomfort. Anytime you set out to do something new there will naturally be some level of fear. Understandably, one doesn’t have to have an absence of fear to do the very things that scare the living daylights out of you. In fact, some elements of fear can motivate us to go beyond any perceived limitations.
Fear can create self-imposed barriers that either regulate you to live within a proverbial box, or it can springboard you into a reality that is beyond anything that you could have imagined. If this strikes a chord, know that you are not alone. Beyond it all, it is impermanent in that it ebbs and flows through our experience. In other words, the only way to overcome fear is to face it head-on. Simply observe it for what it is, accept it, sit with the discomfort, and know that this too will pass. Know that on the other side of fear, resides the biggest opportunities to expand and evolve into your highest and best self.
6 Ways to Use Mindfulness to Conquer Fear
1. Observe the Fear
Increase your awareness of what you are experiencing at the moment. Notice all feelings, emotions, sensations, and discomfort. Should the urge arise to recoil at the awareness of discomfort, pause, and take a few deep cleansing breaths, release any judgment and sit with the discomfort. Know that it will not feel good, generously provide space to be patient, and trust that everything is working together for your good.
Allow yourself the space to tap into the frequency of the intention that you are seeking to invite into your reality. Allow yourself to continue to observe, and accept what you are feeling in the moment while being gracious with yourself. The concept is simple, however, it is not easy. As you sense fear arising, know that fear is impermanent and like the cloud that floats through the sky, this too shall pass.
2. Pause & Breathe
Physiologically our bodies embody the vibration of fear, often sending us into a reactive tailspin of stress, anxiety. The more we retain the stress response the more our bodies continue to cycle through its physical effects. Whenever you feel overwhelmed with fear, increase your awareness, and observe the pattern of what is taking place.
Accept it, pause, and take a few deep cleansing breaths to redirect your focus from the crux of your fears back to your intention.
3. Acceptance
As you observe yourself in the midst of the fear response, observe where you are focusing your awareness. Notice if you are in the midst of a downward spiral, allow yourself to release any resistance to what is, and accept the moment as is.
Know that what you feel, and fear does not mirror the truth of your being. Allow yourself to continue to proverbially continue to sit with it, and know that this too shall pass.
4. Non-Judgment
As a collective, we have a tendency to overly critique our thoughts, experiences, and everything else in between. When practicing to shift deep-seated habits, there are going to be times when you miss the mark and revert to the old habit. If and when this happens, exercise grace and release any judgment.
Being overly critical of ourselves only decreases our vibration, further adding to our fear and anxiety. Releasing judgment is not a one-off, it requires consistent practice to release old habits and embrace new habits that promote our highest and best good.
5. Journaling Practice
Each day we experience any number of thoughts that cycle through our awareness. Journaling practice grants us the space to document all that we observe as we practice to release the energy of fear. The more we increase and hone our awareness of all we observe, the more we are supplied with insights and revelations that can improve our practice.
6. Beginners Mind
The journey to embarking on new things is paved with fear, doubt, worry, and insecurities. Numerous inquiries will arise prompting you to question everything based on past experiences. Just as soon as we embark on something new, the mind searches to find some familiarity, as it yields a degree of comfortability. Anytime you find yourself overwhelmed with the energy of fear that arises from the uncertainty of the unknown, pause and takes a few deep cleansing breaths.
Redirect your awareness to the intended focus of the breath and assume a beginner’s mind. A beginner’s mind frees you to release old patterns, and openly and willingly approach each moment as if it were your very first time. Use this practice to free yourself to use each subsequent moment as an opportunity to tap into the immense opportunities that await you on the other side of fear.
If you are interested in expanding your mindfulness practice in a virtual community of like-minded individuals, you are more than welcome to join our Mindfulness Community Circle for twice-weekly live facilitated mindfulness sessions. We’d love to have you join our rapidly growing global community.
Sign up for your free 7-day trial today.
If you are interested in expanding your mindfulness practice in a virtual community of like-minded individuals, you are more than welcome to join our Mindfulness Community Circle for twice-weekly live facilitated mindfulness sessions. We’d love to have you join our rapidly growing global community.
Sign up for your free 7-day trial today.