When Fear Takes Over

My reflection today is about when we let fear take over our life.

Overcome by Fear

I just met a couple in their mid-seventies out walking and overheard the woman expressing a lot of fear for the people she met on her walk. The walking path was quite wide and you could easily pass people with safe distance. But in her fear, she saw every person as a potential walking ticking virus threat.

I absolutely understand why we all, and especially older people with an underlying illness, need to take precautions. But living with fear is also threatening for the body and for the immune system. If you are constantly alert, always looking out for danger and seeing potential threats in every person you meet, it becomes overwhelming and is not the way to enhance your health.

Fear Creates Fear

The reason why I want to address this is because fear itself creates more fear and is subsequently unhealthy for our physical, mental and emotional health. We need to look after our mind as well as our body as they are not separated. So in an attempt to stay safe you can actually do more harm to your body if you  at the same time live under the perception of constant fear.  The couple I overheard was an example of that and they are not the only ones who lives with constant stress recently.

How to Face Fears

My best advice for anyone who is facing any type of fear is don’t be afraid to talk about it. Also see if you can look at it from a different angle with a new set of eyes without your own filter. By taking it out of the shadows it becomes less fearful and we can learn to cope with it. Take in liable sources but be willing to challenge what you hear. Open up and listen to other angles and come to a decision that is right for you.  What is right for one person might not be right for another so stay humble.

Coming to Acceptance

Once you have made your decision on how to deal with your fear and the situation it is important to come to an acceptance.  The acceptance that you have done everything within your capacity to keep as safe as possible. Coming to this acceptance brings piece of mind and it will lower your stress levels at the same time enhancing your immune system. The fear no longer work against you and you have become a master of your fear by facing and challenge it.  You have come to acceptance and from there on made a solid decision that is right for you.

Living in Fear Will Stop You Living

The woman I met could have been out having a lovely walk in this beautiful weather, strolling by the lake, looking at the flowers and I just breathing in the fresh air. Instead she was paranoid about every person she met and she was complaining and accusing her husband for taking her out. That to me is very sad and one of the consequences of living in fear.

My Own Experience

My experience during my husbands’ illness and death has taught and made me face e a lot of things. While we are here and alive we should not waste time. We should be living in the true essence of the word, not just existing. No one knows for sure what life has in store for us and I think that is a blessing in many ways. We can choose what we want to fill each day with, a new outlook on life, hope, joy, being grateful and thankful. Or we can fill it with stress and fear. Every day will add up to what we call a life. If you want to hear me talking about hope, healing, fear and purpose you can listen in here to my free webinar on June 1. 

Face Your Fears and Live Your Purpose

Fia Hobbs

www.fiahobbs.com

www.stresstostrength.se