The good thing about fear

Fear is often considered a negative thing, but fear has a valid purpose; to protect us from danger. It is a defensive response that serves to protect us or keep us safe. There can be many reasons why we might experience fear; some may be legitimate risks while others may be considered exaggerated or ‘over the top’. An elevated sense of fear or perception of what is ’dangerous’ is usually described as anxiety.

Anxiety is often described as ‘Fear spread thinly’ but if you are experiencing severe anxiety or panic, it may not feel ‘thinly spread’. Feeling frightened or expressing fear may be considered by others (or yourself) as a sign of weakness, but many people who experience anxiety are high achievers who are far from weak. Those who experience fear frequently often feel misunderstood. When fear is excessive or unfounded it can hold you back from reaching your potential or living the life you want. This can be frustrating and distressing.

Apart from anxious behaviour, anxiety manifests in physical symptoms too. It is often said that every thought has a physiological response and this is true. Our bodies and minds are intrinsically connected and what affects the body will affect the mind and vice versa. Anxious thoughts can result in poor sleep, rapid heartbeat, panic attacks, digestive difficulties and many other physical health challenges.

Anxiety is a future based emotion and the worries and ‘what ifs’ that continuously run through the mind can impact negatively on your confidence and wellbeing. To reduce the fear or rid yourself of it you can use a number of approaches. You can release physical tension in your body through exercise, such as dance, yoga, tennis or jogging. The form of exercise you choose needs to be something you enjoy doing or it will feel like another pressure. In addition to discharging stress in the body, it’s good to learn how to control your thoughts and stop them running away with you. This might sound easier said than done, but it really is achievable through practise.

Hypnotherapy is an effective way to re-frame unhelpful thought patterns and is one of the best treatments for anxiety. Hypnosis is a very relaxed state and clients always leave feeling calmer than when they arrived. I teach self-help techniques to my clients in therapy sessions and also provide self-hypnosis recordings that can be used between sessions. All of these can make a real difference to how you think and react and leave you feeling back in control... and that’s a nice thought isn’t it.