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Fear
Fear. A Healthy Way of Processing

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Each emotion carries information about our current state and has unique energy. If you use the energy of emotion in order to get what you want, to move towards your goals, which you accept at the level of consciousness, then emotion performs its true function.

What is the energy in the emotion of fear? Even if we realized why it appeared, our body is filled with energy. The question arises: where can we use it? We must understand why our body is straining and mobilizing in fear, because the main idea of this state is not to immobilize us and make us ill. We usually freeze when we misuse this energy.

Adrenaline is responsible for fear at the hormonal level. Inside the body, this hormone works very interestingly. At the first stage of the release of the hormone, the blood rushes to the head: the pupils dilate, the eyebrows rise, some people may have a red face or spots on the neck. This moment lasts a split second, the body feeds the brain as much as possible in order to instantly decide at the moment of danger how to proceed. But very often in the modern world in a general atmosphere of security, a person experiences fear and is not aware of the danger that the subconscious mind perceives as a threat and, accordingly, cannot decide “What should I do next?” and take the necessary actions.

At the second stage of the action of the hormone, the blood goes to the extremities, because cannot stay in the head for a long time. At this moment, a very strong flow of blood strikes from top to bottom, as if the body was poured with a bucket of cold water, heaviness is felt in the pelvic area, knees become weak. Such a feeling is usually described as “my heart is in my throat right now” or “I am shit scared.” When the blood was in the head, it was necessary to make a decision, and then, when it goes into the body, the head is no longer able to make decisions and think, you must follow the decision that you have already made. When all the energy sinks into the body, the muscles become tense, the body says: “I am ready, let’s act!” They often say “if you don’t know what to do, do at least something” and this is true. In such situations, it’s worth doing at least something not to get stuck, your body muscles are ready for focused actions.


It is important to ask yourself for:

What can I do useful right now?

What steps can I take to achieve my goal?


Therefore, it is important to have these goals. When you begin to act, you spend your mobilized body, you spend your internal resources in the direction of your goals; otherwise they are simply burned at the hormonal level inside you and bring discomfort.


So, a healthy strategy of processing fear:


Step 1. We notice the expression of fear at a low intensity


As soon as the shoulders tightened, and tension appeared in the stomach, we immediately say to ourselves:

I have started to worry now, what am I afraid of?


It is necessary to list all the possible dangers that come to your mind.


Step 2. Explore which of these fears are real


We remove all unrealistic fears that are wound up by our mind and cannot happen, we leave only what really can happen.

How real are these dangers?

What is the percentage of probability

that this is exactly what will happen?


Fear is often inadequate to the current situation, but it is an echo of some system dynamics or some previous experience. We must check the correspondence to the current moment. If you usually discover a real fear that concerns what is happening to you right now, the body begins to relax. After all, emotions are lights which task is to warn. And when the emotion does its work, it begins to leave. That is why it is said that awareness of emotions in the current moment is one of the first steps to manage your state. It is often enough to take only this step.


Step 3. We make a resource calculation

How many resources do I have now

in order to cope with this situation?


Resources are material and immaterial, internal and external. The amount of material resources affects our psychological state.


For example, I need to move to another city, I worry about how to do this. We calculate the resources:

• I have a car

• I have some petrol

• I know the way

• who can I ask for helping me to load heavy things? Will I find these people among friends or hire anyone for money?


If you calculated resources, made a plan, pulled up additional necessary resources, for example, support for loved ones, missing information, then you calm down and begin to treat the situation as a current task. When we set a goal and calculate the steps towards this goal, a sensation of a certain future appears and, accordingly, our peace of mind and confidence grow.


Step 4. Release tension


To release tension, you need to use the body. Hard physical work is great, especially if you need it now. For example, things for moving can be packaged right now, loaded. After the muscles of the body have worked, they naturally tend to relax. Dig something or lay a brick, do cleaning in the house.

If there is no hard work at hand, just offer yourself some physical exercises. For example, make your hands into fists, tense shoulders, abs, and then release this state sharp, relax (such an exercise is recommended even before a public speech). Another great exercise is a plank for at least a minute. After such exercises, relaxation and pleasure come. In this way, we help our body to process fear.


Step 5. Set strategic goals

What do I want in a long-term prospective?


In the example of moving, we should not think about the move itself, but about more distant future, about what it is associated with this moving. It can be housing, professional or personal questions, and goals should be set according to these questions.

You should have a prospective goal which will

connect not only with the search for security

but will also give some development and, in the end,

more calmness in your life.


If we looked into the future and set a strategic goal, it means we coped with our fears in a quality manner.

If strategic goals are set in a state of fear, self-deception will occur. In a state of fear, we are not able to focus on the future. So the first step to take is to get rid of fear. In this case it is necessary to create a more secure environment:

• make a plan;

• gather all necessary resources;

• give your body a good workout;

• set future goals in the calm state.


In the next situation, in which you will experience anxiety or fear, the long-term goal that you set will create a sense of direction and the feeling that you are managing your life, this will be your guideline.

If you act this way gradually and constantly, your future will become predicted for you and created personally by you.

Theory of emotional relativity. Practical guide to the development of awareness and emotional intelligence

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