Hello, soon-to-be adventurers out there! It’s fair to say that even the bravest of us can sometimes feel a little on the wobbly side when it comes to trying something new that we maybe do not know too much about, whether it be travelling the globe or taking driving lessons for the first time.
This is normal, but if it stops you from going ahead and doing the thing you want to do, then the fear is something that needs to be challenged and overcome so you can live the most fulfilling life possible for you.
First off, let’s have a natter about this fear business. Fear of the unknown is as common as rain on a bank holiday – it’s practically part of the human condition! So, if you’re feeling a bit jittery about taking that salsa class or starting a new job, know that you’re in good company.
The trick is not to let fear stop you from exploring new opportunities and experiencing what could be the next best thing in your life. That being the case, below, you will find some tips to help you overcome fear of the new, because you really can do it!
Step one: Understand your fear
Are you worried about taking driving lessons because you don’t want to be stuck in a confined space with a strange man all day? Great, now you know that you can look into the best female driving instructors in your area.
Or maybe you’re worried about travelling to the other side of the world because you’ll be alone. Excellent, you can start joining forums, making friends and learning the local language so you will have people you can hang out with and the skills to communicate more effectively. Only by understanding your fears can you find ways to address them.
Stress is distressing and there is no roundabout way to say that! If you are dealing with a lot of stress in your working life, you are not alone but it sucks that that’s the case! You need to know that there are people around you handling the same level of stress that you are so that you can be sure that you are not the only person dealing with it. They say misery loves company but how amazing would it be if no one was miserable because of their workplace drama?!
Chronic stress can lead to all kinds of problems and then that leads you to find solutions from your doctor, places like CBDistillery and the bottom of the cookie jar. You need to understand the signs that stress is starting to get to you, though, so that you can learn to mitigate those stresses in your life and understand that life doesn’t have to be all that difficult. The very first step to dealing with stress is learning to manage it, especially when it can lead to all kinds of issues. Here are the signs that too much stress is getting to you:
Step two: Set some realistic goals
If you want to overcome the fear of the new, then setting some goals that you can achieve, breaking them down into the smallest steps you need to to feel comfortable, is a must. If your goal is to learn a new language, for example, maybe start with a few common phrases and work up from there. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small it seems. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Step three: Visualise your success
Whenever fear starts to creep into your consciousness, one thing that can be very useful is to simply visualise yourself doing the thing in as much detail as you can muster. Oh, and of course, you need to visualise yourself doing it as successfully as possible.
This will show your brain that there is nothing to fear, which means that when you do it for real, you will be a whole lot calmer, and thus more likely to actually beat the fear barrier and succeed. Visualisation can be a powerful tool to help boost your confidence and motivate you to push through your fears, so use it wisely!
Step four: Learn from others
One thing that always helps is to learn from others. Seek advice from those who’ve been there, done that, and got the t-shirt. There’s no shame in asking for a bit of guidance. Heck, they might even share some stories about their initial fear and how they overcame it.
You’re not alone in this, and there’s plenty of wisdom to be gleaned from others. So, if you want to climb Everest, read the stories of the pioneers who did it before you, or if you want to get up on stage and act, check out the stories of actors like Emma Stone and Lena Dunham who have succeeded in their field despite suffering from crippling anxiety disorders. You can do it!
Remember, nobody is perfect. And to be frank, perfection is a bit boring, isn’t it? Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t get it right the first time. Making mistakes is an integral part of learning and growing.
As the saying goes, you learn more from failure than from success. So, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, treat each mistake as a stepping stone towards your goal.
Step five: laugh at it
Yes, really. Laughing at your fears and turning them into a joke might sound impossible when you are in the grips of terror, but it kind of acts like a release valve that helps you to see the funny side of your fear and get more comfortable with the uncomfortable. Try it, it can really work!
Here’s to overcoming those fears of the new!
