Vickie's Viewpoint

What’s so bad about being afraid? Lots! Fear causes us to act in ways that get us in terrible situations. Fear causes illness, financial problems and conflict with others.  Fear lowers our self-esteem, and most of all, causes us to remain unhappy.

Here are Signs we Might be in Fear…

When we…

• Are STRESSED, UPSET, ANGRY or RESENTFUL.
• Want to CONTROL the situation.
• Want to PROVE something.
• Find ourselves confronting a lot of OBSTACLES.
• OBSESS. Replaying a situation over and over and thinking about how it could have been avoided, what will happen because of it, what needs to change to fix it and who’s to blame.
• Become JUDGMENTAL.
• Find ourselves BLAMING someone or something for the situation.
• Are mainly concerned about the OUTCOME and not enjoying the process.
• Feel GUILTY, afraid we will be punished for what we did or didn’t do.
• Become DEFENSIVE.
• Want others to TAKE OUR SIDE.
• Think things are URGENT or a matter of life or death.
• Feel BEING RIGHT is an extremely high priority.
• FORCE ourselves to do something we don’t want to do.
• Feel INADEQUATE to handle the situation.
• Are afraid to TALK or even THINK about the situation.
• Think our INTUITION is non-existent.

Once we realize we’re in fear we can take steps to get out of it. Until the fear begins to disappear, it is extremely hard to find relief from the unpleasant situations fear causes. Once fear dissipates, our natural intuition can surface. Intuition enables us to be aware of the answers to all of our problems.

Check out Vickie’s next blog on Signs We’re Releasing Fear!

With everything changing so quickly, it’s easy to become paralyzed with fear. People are losing jobs, entire industries are disappearing overnight and when you go to your favorite coffee shop for a little escapism in the form of a latte, you find it closed. For good.

To Get Rid of Fear Try One or a Combination of These Suggestions:

1  Make a Plan-

Sometimes the best way to get rid of fear is to have a Plan B waiting.

2 Decide to Fully Participate-

Often we get afraid when we’re not giving 100 percent.

3 Use Affirmations-

Rather than letting our mind run rampant with negative thoughts, replace them with positive ones. Every thought – negative or positive – impacts our sense of well being. By replacing our negative thoughts with positive affirmations our fear begins to disappear.

4 Focus on What’s Going Right-

Whatever we focus our attention on expands. If we’re focusing on the woes that could befall us, then our fear increases. How about focusing on what’s going right and seeing that grow?

5 Stay in the Moment-

When we’re afraid we are either worrying about what will happen in the future or trying to rectify the past. To get in the moment, be concerned only with what’s happening right NOW.

6 Start Taking Action-

When we feel paralyzed, confused and overwhelmed by a situation, one way to get out of the fear is to break it down into small, manageable tasks. Just get moving!

7 Stop Taking Action-

When we run into lots of road blocks, it’s a good sign we’re in fear. Our need to make something happen may be interfering with a resolution. If you’re coming across lots of obstacles, the best way to get out of fear is to stop and do absolutely nothing. Wait until the fear passes and you listen to your intuition to take action.

8 Slow Down-

The more fear we’re in, the more urgent things seem. We start breathing faster, talking faster and moving faster which escalates the perceived seriousness of the situation. To get out of fear, slow down, take a deep breath and relax. Put yourself in slow motion.

9  Move Into the Fear-

This is the last suggestion, because it’s usually the hardest. When we have a situation that never seems to be resolved, it’s because we are trying to avoid what we’re afraid of. This only prolongs and intensifies the fear. Instead, move into the fear. Allow or accept the worst that might happen.  Think of the most fearful thing that could happen and give it permission to do so. Once we do that, the fear releases immediately.

We think the problem is this or that, but our real problem is the fear. Once you get rid of the fear, you can hear your intuition. And our intuition can get us out of any jam, anywhere, anytime with anyone.

To read more about intuition visit the Articles section or take the How to Listen to your Intuition Quiz.