To overcome fear of the unknown, define your fear, educate yourself, meditate, or take steps to address it directly. Fear can be paralyzing, but understanding it is the first step. Educating yourself on the real risks, meditating, and taking small steps can help overcome fear.
If your worries threaten to overwhelm you and keep you from trying new things, there are several techniques that can help. You will need to define your fear, educate yourself, meditate, or even take steps to address it directly.
Fear of the unknown can come from many different sources. You might be worried about a new job, getting old, or how you’ll be welcomed at your next party. Uncertainty is part of normal life, but for some people, fear of the unknown can be paralyzing.
The first step in overcoming your fear of the unknown is understanding what it is. Everyone experiences fear at one point or another, and even the most confident people are afraid of something. Fear is a natural reaction, a part of your mind designed to keep you safe. To begin with, ask yourself what you are afraid of, whether it is a certain type of situation, losing something or someone, or simply living in generally uncertain times.
If your fear of the unknown is based on something beyond your control, educating yourself can be a good way to de-escalate the fear. People have had an irrational fear of everything from vaccines making them sick to the Large Hadron Collider causing a black hole that will destroy the Earth. These fears can feel dramatic and be difficult to understand. Knowing the real chances of something disastrous happening to you can ease the fear and give you a better idea of your real risks.
Meditation and visualization can help you focus productively on your fear. Finding a quiet moment in your room, or if you have many small children, even in the bathroom, can help you mentally deal with your fear of the unknown. A recommended exercise is to imagine how you would face your fear step by step. Imagining ways to beat it once a day can help you feel calmer before dealing with it in real life.
If what you’re afraid of isn’t something that’s going to hurt you, you can take small steps to address it in real life. Fear of social gatherings can be eased by having a friend accompany you. Fear of heights can be gradually overcome by taking the stairs in tall buildings. Taking a class in doing something that will help you directly overcome your fear, such as swimming lessons for those with a fear of water and confidence-building activities for those with a fear of public speaking, can also help.
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