Life is a scary thing. We’re only here for a brief period, and then we’re gone. But that doesn’t mean that we should feel fearful the whole time. We want to be able to enjoy at least some of our existence here on Earth.
Many people struggle with fear after a traumatic event in their lives. When a family member dies, for example, it can leave you prone to panic attacks, flashbacks, and constant rumination about “what you could have done to stop it.” The trick here is to realize that the way you feel is a healthy brain process run amok. While you should react fearfully to some events in the real world, you shouldn’t feel that way all the time. If you do, it’s a sign that something has gone wrong and needs corrective action.
For years scientists believed that the amygdala was the fear center of the brain. The theory said that as we experience fear, we hyperactivate this small region of the grey matter in our heads, and it gets bigger over time. As it grows, it starts churning out fear chemicals that place us in a heightened state of alert, preparing us to defend ourselves.
Early research relied on animal studies. People removed the amygdala from snakes and rats and found that the animals no longer seemed to have their characteristic fear response. Soon, the brain region came to be known as the fear center.
Later, though, it became clear that the amygdala wasn’t the whole story – in humans, anyway. Data from epilepsy patients with non-functional amygdalas showed that they could still feel fear in response to real threats in their environment. Thus the picture is now more complicated than before. The “fear center of the brain” appears to be an essential part of fear circuits, but not the whole picture.
So as somebody who experiences a lot of fear, what can you do to reduce it? Here are four strategies that you might want to try.
Change Your Stress Chemistry With Diet
The idea that we can change our perception of fear by altering what’s on our plates seems fanciful. But data from multiple sources suggest that it is true. We know of dozens of herbs, spices, nuts, and fruit that reduce anxiety. And we also know that individual diet styles – such as the Meditteranean diet – improve overall feelings of wellbeing.
Taking herbs for adrenal fatigue, therefore, could be a great way to improve how you feel. Many of these are commonly available and come without the side effects of traditional pharmaceuticals.
Reframe Your Situation
Psychologists use the word “reframe” a lot with their patients. But, for some, there is an enduring mystery as to what it actually means to “reframe your situation.” Essentially, it just means changing the words you use in your inner monolog.
In many ways, the words we choose to use in our minds construct our brains. Changing the language you use can profoundly alter your neural structures, helping to make things less fearful for you.
So, for instance, instead of talking about your “palpitations,” which sounds like some dreadful Victorian-era condition, you might instead say, you feel “nervous.” Simple changes like this can all add up to profound alterations in your psychology.
Another idea is to view people who hurt you not as “monsters” or people who saw defects in you, but as victims themselves. Broken people tend to hurt those around them. Instead of being a worthy victim, you just happened to be in the way as they acted out their pain.
You get the picture. Telling yourself happier, evidence-based stories that describe your situation is much better than fictitious internal ramblings.
Challenge Your Fears
Do you really need to be afraid of the objects in your life you fear?
For instance, do you need to be afraid of certain foods? How about what your work colleagues say about you while you’re not there? What about your partner leaving you?
Are these genuine fears? Or has the fear become a kind of habit?
Challenging your fears can give you confidence either way. You soon figure out what matters fundamentally to your life and what doesn’t. And, typically, that gives you more confidence afterward.
Be Kind To Yourself
Sometimes you can fear that things won’t go your way because you’re not good enough as a person. It’s worth remembering that outside factors will often get in the way of your plans, no matter how brilliant you are. And even if they don’t and you still fail, that says nothing about your character.