For most people there exists a deeply seated dread that inhibits us from taking control of our lives and shaping it to fit us. It’s a dread that keeps us ordinary, keeps us engaging in just the same things everybody else is doing, just because it’s well known thing to do.
The fear of the unknown.
You most likely recognize that exact sensation I’m referring to. That flutter inside your gut, this imprecise discomfort when you get close to the edge of the familiar, that caution in your mind that can be so readily misunderstood as a reasonable red flag. You know what I am talking about.
There are parts of our minds and natures that have a single function: To keep us safe. These components are taught all through our lifetimes to determine between what is okay, and what is hazardous. When you accidentally touched the hot oven burner or iron as a child, that safety center came to understand from that. If you strayed too far from your folks so they called you back with that tone of anxiety and fear in their voices, that safety center in your mind heard it and learned. Sorry to say, most folk’s safety centers have gone too far with their learning. The lessons you most likely internalized was “if it’s unfamiliar, maybe it’s threatening. Just trust what you know.”
The result of this, is when you are too near to the border of what’s comfortable, your brain will send the same warning impulses and caution that it will should you absentmindedly get too close to the hot stove. It’s there to shield you, but it is keeping you fenced into a safe little circle beyond opportunity and growth.
Is it possible to do something about this?
Some individuals can break through this fence, ignore the caution signals, and seek out unique opportunities. There is a thrill associated with this risky behavior that is better than any drug. It’s precisely that feeling of risk that provides the excitement. Regretably, the majority of us can’t make ourselves launch ourselves headlong through the fence (at least not too frequently), so is there an alternative for the remainder of us chickens out here who are not happy within the fence, and yet not necessarily impulsive enough to chuck caution to the wind?
Yes. We have to make the unfamiliar feel common.
That may sound weird, but it is very possible. It requires no money, no unique skills, only a couple of minutes each day. The only thing you require for this uncomplicated technique is your imagination.
Have a seat somewhere quiet for a few minutes (when you have rambunctious kids or a insane schedule, you might have to achieve this in bed in the evening or even when you’ve got a few minutes to yourself inside the toilet). Close your eyes and consider the matter that has been scaring you. Don’t get worried over the anxiety of even thinking about it. In the privacy of your imagination, you will be totally safe and sound. Visualize step by step, accomplishing the activity which has been giving you the butterflies. At each phase, stop and ask yourself just what might go wrong at this stage, just how probable that really is, and your ability to prevent the problems. What you are accomplishing is looking around for the fear monsters beyond the fence and seeing if there is really any real danger to bother with. After that’s done, imagine yourself carrying out the steps towards your goal, visualizing in vivid detail every bit just like you have been really performing it.
Incoming search terms for the article:
- unknown stress (4)
- how to control fear of the unknown (4)
- how to control fear of unknown (3)
- stress of the unknown (2)
- Control Stress and Stress (1)
- stressing unknown (1)
- stress is fear of the unkown (1)
- stress fear ubknown (1)
- stress by unknown (1)
- stress and the unknown (1)
