Fear is a brain response that appears automatically when someone faces something scary. A scary image or imagination that comes to mind is something that is perfectly normal and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep, for example from watching a horror movie, thinking about natural disasters, or a phobia of spiders. At times, fear can have a positive effect on health, but it will interfere with peace and happiness if your life is controlled by fear. Want to know how to overcome fear? Read on for this article!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Distracting
Step 1. Watch a comedy film
The human brain is able to remember things that have just been seen. Memories of scary thoughts will be "overwritten" by humorous scenes that make you laugh out loud.
Watch heartwarming TV shows
Step 2. Do a relaxing activity
Calming your mind is a great way to free yourself from fear, such as painting your nails, enjoying the spa, or traveling with friends. This method directs the mind so that it is in a meditative state. To enjoy deep relaxation, light a candle and soak in a tub of warm water.
Step 3. Read a calming book
Take your mind off the scary stuff by reading a book while focusing on a fun topic, even if it's just for a little while. You can read fairy tales for toddlers.
Step 4. Do an art activity
Paint if you like coloring! Do something you enjoy. Making art is a means to channel fear into something expressive. The creative process is one of the triggers of happiness.
Write poetry if you enjoy writing
Step 5. Listen to music
Listen to whatever you like, classical music, rock, or the latest pop songs. To make it even more useful, listen to songs while dancing to the beat of the music.
Step 6. Give yourself a gift
Go to a restaurant to buy food or order pizza to be delivered home. The brain will produce the hormone serotonin that triggers feelings of happiness that occur due to chemical processes when the appetite is satisfied.
Step 7. Think about everyday events
Remember the fun things that happened since the morning. Imagine how small your body is in the universe and then zoom in until it becomes a tiny dot among a series of large dots. In this way, fear will be seen as irrelevant.
Step 8. Imagine a location that provides a sense of security
Think of pleasant things to free your mind from unpleasant memories. Remember the good memories when you vacation in Bali by looking at the photo collection during the trip while imagining you are there. Remember the natural sights, sounds, smells, and warmth of feeling safe.
Step 9. Have someone accompany you
In order not to be lonely, sleep with your parents, brother, or sister. Fear will go away if you are accompanied by loved ones and make you feel comfortable.
Step 10. Play with pets
Animals can distract scary thoughts. Research shows that dogs are animals that bring therapeutic effects to the human brain. Set aside time to play with your pet so you're happy too.
Method 2 of 3: Doing Physical Activity
Step 1. Do light exercise
The best way to calm your emotions is to exercise. Instead of weight training at the gym, do the following moves:
- Push ups 10 times
- Crunch 30 times
- Jump star 20 times
- Rest for 5 minutes then repeat the above movement
Step 2. Practice running
One of the therapeutic physical activities that are beneficial for oneself is running. Improved cardiovascular system is able to eliminate scary thoughts.
Step 3. Work out with friends
This activity is doubly beneficial because you are surrounded by many people while exercising physically. Choose a team sport that you like, such as football, futsal, basketball, etc.
Step 4. Practice yoga
Yoga is useful for regulating the rhythm of breath and flowing energy throughout the body so that it can eliminate fear. Joining a yoga class is a great way to practice the right techniques and control your mind in a calm environment.
In addition, you can practice yoga yourself at home by doing basic postures
Method 3 of 3: Overcoming Fear
Step 1. Find out the cause of the fear
First determine what is causing the fear. Many people already know why they are afraid, but others do not know the trigger. Write down things that trigger fear.
Step 2. Breathe deeply
One of the important steps to feeling calm is to relax. Hysterical conditions have a negative impact on health and exacerbate fear. Breathing deeply is a great way to calm yourself down because you need to feel calm in order to be able to face the things you fear.
Step 3. Ask yourself questions
Write down some questions, ponder them, and then write down the answers. As an example:
- What am I afraid of?
- Do I feel scared because of the realistic?
- What is the worst possible impact?
- Which body part triggers fear?
Step 4. Draw the thing you are afraid of
If you're afraid of something tangible, such as a horror movie character, a spider, or a ghost, draw a picture of it. Print it from the website or draw it yourself. You can overcome your fear by spending a lot of time drawing the trigger.
Step 5. Face what you fear
Avoiding the cause of your fear will only make you more afraid. Before asking others for help, face your fear and accept it as it is. Although difficult, this step can help solve the problem.
Step 6. Be patient
Although time-consuming, fear can be overcome if you continue to do the following: patience, persistence, learning, and commitment.
Step 7. Seek professional help
If you're still scared, consider whether you need professional help. Fear does not always arise because of watching horror films, but it can also be due to irrational things that need to be overcome with medication or the help of a therapist.
Tips
- Feeling afraid is a human thing.
- Play games on your phone or computer.
- Sleep with a teddy bear as a guard so you feel more at ease. If you can't sleep with your parents, sleep cuddling the doll.
- Play games or invite family members to chat for a while before going to bed at night.
- Sing a song in your heart in the middle of a lonely night to distract your mind.
- Free yourself from fear by watching entertaining TV shows.
- If you are afraid of something in a dark room or place, look at it with a smile. You will feel confident and secure.
- If all else doesn't work, distract yourself from the scary thoughts by discussing something happy or sad with a friend.
- Turn on a small light in the room before going to bed at night.
- Don't watch horror movies because scary thoughts will appear by themselves when you sleep at night. Watch a comedy show or comedy to forget the scary stuff.
