Special Edition: 6 Ways to Combat Fear and Anxiety

There's a lot going on in the world these days that can raise fear and anxiety levels. Are you feeling fearful or anxious these days? What topics control your thoughts and conversations? Have you lost your peace and joy due to world events? Fear is the big brother and anxiety is it's relative. The two are closely related, so if you struggle with either of these, this post is for you. 

In case you haven't realized, human beings have a negativity bias. This is a psychology term that means the human brain is hard-wired to thrive on the negative. This is why the media puts out so much negative news, because it knows negativity and fear attracts viewers. It's easy to get sucked in if we don't realize this. 

This focus on fear and negativity steals our joy and our sense of peace. It also saps our energy by dragging us down to a lower energetic level. 

Fear is contagious. 

The media is full of bad news: lootings and fires, stock market drops, the latest mass shooting or Hollywood scandal, the virus and the pandemic, the war in the Ukraine and now the war in Israel. The list goes on and on. 

People are buying guns to protect themselves. Others are refusing to go out of the house. Before you know it, that's what you're talking about to your friends, family, and anyone who will listen. You'll think about it at night and ever so slowly fear will permeate your psyche. You will start making fear-based choices. I've heard several friends recently tell me they don't want to do things or go places because they are afraid. 

Fear begets fear. What we dwell on is what will manifest itself in our lives. So this post is dedicated to helping all of us conquer the enemy of fear because peace begins within each of us. 

First of all, let's realize one fact. No one knows when our last day on this earth will be. When it's our time to go, it's our time to go so why live in fear? Why let fear steal the joy from each precious day? When I used to teach yoga, I would tell my class, "Every day is a gift. That is why it's called the present". 

It is a perspective I choose to value each day and not take life for granted. We have a choice to live a fear-based life or a faith-based life. Fear sucks our energy and keeps us back from pursuing our goals, our dreams, and our destinies. We tell ourselves things like "I'm too old", "I'm too uneducated", "I'm too undisciplined", "I'm to -----" you fill in the blank. These are all excuses that masquerade themselves as reality, when they are really fear dressed in disguise.

So how to counteract this pervasive thought pattern?

1. Realize we may have been programmed to think negatively.
Some of us, myself included, were raised in a negative environment. Our parents may have been worriers, fearful, anxious, unmotivated. Yet that doesn't have to be us. We are free to think and choose differently from our parents. It is never too late to change our thinking no matter how old we are. Or how young :)

2. Cultivate a positive mindset.
Begin to reprogram your mind. Start by reading positive literature. Like this blog for instance :)  Write down affirming statements. I use those little yellow post-it notes to remind myself of whatever way of thinking or habit I'm working on changing. It takes time to cultivate a positive mindset but with diligence we will soon be thinking positive hopeful thoughts in every area of our lives. There is always another way to see things, no matter how bad they seem at the time. 

Our thinking patterns wire our brains. The longer we think negative thoughts, the more negative we will become as we age. We must make a conscious effort to think positive thoughts if we want to live a happier less fearful life. 

3. Stop feeding your mind negativity.
Pay attention to what you are putting into your mind. Sure, we need to keep up with world events, but we don't have to listen to the news as much as we think we do - to keep up. The news is on repeat. If you missed it tonight, tomorrow it will repeat. 

Pay attention to what movies you watch. Are they about murder, killing, psychotic behavior? You don't need to watch that. When the consumer stops paying for this junk, maybe the producers will start producing better programming. 

All of this is input into our thinking. As we used to say in the IT field, GIGO: garbage in, garbage out. If we want good output, we have to program our minds with good input. 

4. Develop self-confidence.
Know who you are. You are a child of God. You have power. You are fully equipped for your journey. Read positive books. Hang around people who are uplifting, growing, and encouraging. Listen to inspirational and motivational speakers. The more we listen to positive influences, the better self-image we will have of ourselves. You are wonderfully made. You are unique and a masterpiece. There is no one else like you. Don't try to be someone else. Be YOU!

5. Refuse to give up.
Life has its setbacks, that is for sure. But I like to look at these as opportunities to alter my course. Setbacks usually mean I need to change my thinking about something. The Bible calls this "repentance". When I change my thinking, I can then change my actions which will produce different results. Failure is not an excuse to give up. Failure motivates us to try a different approach. Look how many times Thomas Edison failed when he was trying to invent the light bulb. 

6. Trust God.
God is for us. He has our back. Yes, bad things happen but God works stuff out for our good whether we realize it or not. Even the worst scenarios have a silver lining if we look for it. Read my book "The Power of Faith" and see how God orchestrated my life and turned it all for good. 

God loves you and wants the best for you which means you should want that for yourself. Every day we have choices of whether to act out of fear or in faith. I choose faith. I have made a decision to never make a decision based on fear. If you are indecisive, ask yourself this question "What fear is holding me back from making this decision?" Then ask God to give you the faith to trust him. 

Step out of your comfort zone. Try something new. Connect with someone you want to get to know. Don't let fear keep you from moving forward in your life and your relationships no matter what is going on in the world.

God rewards Faith. When He sees us stepping out of the boat, He will move heaven and earth on our behalf. We will see miracles happen. Obstacles will move out of our way and doors will open. Sometimes we will even get a sign of confirmation that we are moving in the right direction. Contrary to popular thought, signs come AFTER we have taken a step of faith, not before. When we see life through the eyes of faith, rather than fear, we will have more joy, more energy, and more motivation. 

For Reflection

Do you find yourself dwelling on negative thoughts? What are you afraid of these days? What event from the past might be coloring your perspective? What could you see or do in this life if you weren't afraid? Will you make a decision to choose faith over fear from now on?

I hope this post has given you some ideas on how to conquer fear in your life. If you want more energy, see more progress in your life, and feel more alive, I encourage you to put some of these steps into practice. Love to hear your feedback here or on Facebook or Instagram.  

If you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. I'll also send you out a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

Until next time, here's to living a more faith-filled life and remember - 

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz