November 17, 2024 • 12 mins
In this episode, we tackle one of the most universal emotions—fear. Fear can be a powerful motivator or a paralyzing force that keeps us from pursuing our dreams. But what if you could stop fear and anxiety from holding you back?
Join us as we delve into the psychology of fear, uncovering why it exists, how it manifests, and—most importantly—how to break its grip. You’ll discover practical tools like reframing fear as a learning opportunity, taming your inner critic, and building resilience through incremental exposure to challenges.
Whether you’re afraid of failure, rejection, or the unknown, this episode offers a roadmap to reclaim your confidence and achieve your goals.
Don't let fear control your life—learn the secrets to overcoming it and stepping boldly into your potential. Tune in to start your journey toward fearlessness.
To book your free discovery coaching session today, please click here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Transformative Living Radio,
where we explore the power ofintentional change for personal
growth and fulfillment.
I'm Andre Flax, your host andcertified life and leadership
coach.
Now, if you're here today,you're likely someone who, like
most of us, have struggled withfear and anxiety in some shape
or form.
Maybe it's the fear of failingor not being good enough, or
(00:24):
perhaps it's an all-too-familiarknot in your stomach when you
step out of your comfort zone.
You see, fear is deeply human.
Yet if unchecked, it can holdus back from some of our
greatest possibilities.
In today's episode, we'rediving deep into understanding
fear why it's there, how itdevelops and, most importantly,
(00:47):
how we can take control back.
We'll explore some keytechniques to not only stop fear
and anxiety from ruling ourlives, but also to make them
work for us rather than againstus.
So if you're ready, let's begin.
Let's begin.
Hello and welcome to anotherepisode of Transformative Living
(01:09):
Radio.
I'm Andre Flax, your host andcertified life and leadership
coach.
First, I want to thank all ofour listeners for listening in
each week to this podcast.
Now, this is our 51st episodeand I'm so happy that you're
here today supporting thepodcast and sharing it with
those you know.
(01:29):
Now, today's episode is allabout diving deep into
understanding fear why it'sthere, how it develops and, most
importantly, how we can takecontrol back.
We'll also explore some keytechniques that not only stop
fear and anxiety from ruling ourlives, but also to make fear
(01:50):
and anxiety work for us ratherthan against us.
So let's begin by starting withthe basics.
What is fear?
Well, fear is our mind andbody's natural response to a
perceived threat.
It's part of what has kepthumans safe for thousands of
years.
Back then, it was essential forsurvival to be able to react
(02:14):
instantly to a predator or aphysical threat, but in today's
times, fears don't alwaystranslate to actual danger.
In our modern world, you see,our fears often arise from what
could happen, and many arerooted in anxieties about the
future or the judgment fromothers.
So how do we differentiatehealthy fear from debilitating
(02:37):
anxiety?
Well, think of fear as a quickresponse, a helpful instinct,
often without much thought,meant to protect you in the
moment.
Now anxiety, on the other hand,is ongoing and is often rooted
in worries that don't have animmediate danger attached to
them, but can feel just asintense.
(03:00):
Now, the first key to stoppingfear and anxiety is to
understand the power of your ownthoughts.
Studies have shown that simplyrecognizing our fear and naming
it helps us to regain somecontrol.
You see, our brains are wiredto focus on what we think about,
which can increase stress orreduce it, depending on where we
(03:21):
direct our attention.
When fear arises, try to slowdown, name it and then ask
yourself is this fear based onsomething real or something I'm
imagining?
This one habit, which is toobserve the fear, can help you
see the difference between areal threat and one that is
(03:43):
imagined.
Now, a helpful technique forpracticing this is grounding.
When you feel overwhelmed byfear and anxiety, take a moment
to observe something around youin detail.
This could be noticing thetexture of a fabric, feeling the
ground under your feet orfocusing on your breath.
Now, this process is known as astate interrupt, which helps
(04:04):
you break the feeling of anxietyand brings you back to the
present moment, where most fearsdissolve.
So let's talk about the cycle offear and anxiety.
Here's how the cycle usuallyhappens we have an imagined
thought that creates the feelingof fear, which then leads to
worry and anxiety, and then ourmind fills with the worst-case
(04:27):
scenarios.
This amplifies the fear,creating a loop that's hard to
escape from Now.
One powerful tool to disruptthis loop is to practice
mindfulness.
When we can bring our focus tothe present, we take away the
fuel for anxiety.
Mindfulness practices like deepbreathing or meditation can
(04:50):
calm our nervous system,allowing us to step back and see
our fear from a differentperspective.
Try this quick exercise ifyou're somewhere safe where you
could do it.
Close your eyes Now, take adeep breath and exhale.
Focus on your breath.
(05:14):
Notice each inhale and eachexhale.
If a fear pops up, acknowledgeit.
Then gently bring yourattention back to your breath.
Use this quick exercisewhenever you're feeling fear or
anxiety and watch it workwonders for relieving your fear
and anxiety in the moment.
Now that we understand the cycle, let's talk about another
(05:37):
powerful tool you could use tohelp you break the fear cycle,
called reframing.
Now, reframing is the art oflooking at fear from a new angle
.
Now, reframing is the art oflooking at fear from a new angle
.
Instead of asking why am Iafraid, ask what is this fear
telling me?
Let me give you an example.
Imagine you're preparing tostart a new job and you feel the
(06:01):
familiar tightness in yourchest.
Instead of letting fear stopyou, you use it as a source of
curiosity.
Ask yourself what can this fearteach me?
Or what would I do if I weren'tafraid?
Now I remember a time early inmy career that I struggled with
fear and anxiety.
As a young sales professional,there were times when I would
(06:24):
completely become paralyzed whenmeeting with high-level
executives.
When I would completely becomeparalyzed when meeting with
high-level executives, however,instead of seeing my fear as a
barrier, I began to view it as asign that I needed to improve
my self-image as well as myself-confidence.
This simple shift in my mindsettransformed my approach,
turning an intimidatingsituation into an opportunity
(06:47):
for my professional growth.
So what are some practicalstrategies that we can start
using today to help us to takecontrol of fear and anxiety?
The first and most importantstrategy is to challenge
negative thoughts.
You see, fear is an emotion andall emotions begin with the
(07:09):
thought, and usually, when theemotion of fear arises within us
, it's because we're thinkingsomething negative.
So the first strategy would beto write down your fears, then
question each of them by askingis this really true?
Challenge the validity of thenegative thoughts.
This really true?
(07:31):
Challenge the validity of thenegative thoughts.
By doing so, you decrease theemotional energy behind the
thought, allowing you to directyour attention to a positive
thought.
Now, if fear is stopping youfrom a big goal, one strategy to
overcome this fear is to breakdown the goal into small,
manageable actions.
Each small wins buildsconfidence, reducing fear over
(07:57):
time.
Visualizing success versusfailure is another powerful
strategy that will help youovercome fear and anxiety.
You see, our minds are prone tofocus on failure scenarios.
Try visualizing success instead.
Imagine yourself overcoming thefear, achieving the goal and
(08:19):
how you'll feel afterwards.
You see, visualization createsa positive blueprint in your
mind.
Creating a supportiveenvironment is another strategy
for overcoming fear and anxiety.
By surrounding ourselves withpeople who encourage and uplift
us helps reinforce our abilityto face fears with strength and
courage.
Now, another very importantstrategy for overcoming fear and
(08:41):
anxiety is the practice ofself-compassion and patience.
You see, when we consistentlypractice being kind to ourselves
and allow ourselves to bepatient in the process of
overcoming our fears and anxiety, we will begin to see
incremental progress in ourability to identify our fear and
(09:02):
challenge them one by one.
Remember, overcoming fear isn'ta race.
Be kind to yourself through theprocess.
If you take one step back,that's okay.
Growth takes time.
Now, believe it or not.
The biggest barrier to ourdreams isn't fear, it's regret.
Often, fear stops us fromtaking action and, in turn, this
(09:26):
leads to a lifetime of what-ifs.
Imagine a life without regret.
What would you do differently?
It's been said that we onlyregret the chances we don't take
.
Living courageously doesn'tmean being fearless.
It means choosing to act evenwhen fear is present.
(09:49):
Now, just for a moment, I wantyou to think about something
that you've been wanting to dobut have been putting it off
because of fear.
Now picture your life in a year, five years or maybe even 10,
if you keep letting fear holdyou back.
How does that feel?
Now picture what your lifecould look like if you did face
(10:10):
that fear.
Imagine the growth, theexperiences you would have and
even the confidence that youwould gain.
You see, fear and anxietybegins in our mind and we can't
just let it go.
And when we are able toidentify and control the
negative thoughts that producethe emotion of fear and anxiety,
(10:30):
we will be able to reduce thelevel of fear and anxiety we
feel in the moment.
Now, as we wrap up this episodetoday, I hope you're walking
away with a clearerunderstanding of fear and, most
importantly, how to take backcontrol.
Remember, fear is a naturalpart of life, but it doesn't
(10:51):
have to control you.
It's there to protect you, notto keep you from the life you
want.
Challenge your fears, reframethem, use them as tools for
growth, not as walls that stopyou from living fully.
So the next time you're facingsomething intimidating, ask
yourself what would I do if Iweren't afraid?
(11:12):
You might surprise yourselfwith the answer.
Well, that's our show for today.
We hope that you found thisepisode both insightful and
inspiring.
Join us each week for practicaltips, actionable insights and
inspiring stories to help youtransform your life.
We hope you can join us.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
We'll see you soon To experience a free coaching
session with Andre Flex.
Click the link in the shownotes to book your coaching
session today, or contact him atandre at
transformativelivingradiocom.
If you enjoyed this episode,leave us a comment wherever you
get your podcasts and share itwith friends.
Welcome to Transformative Living Radio,
where we explore the power ofintentional change for personal
growth and fulfillment.
I'm Andre Flax, your host andcertified life and leadership
coach.
Now, if you're here today,you're likely someone who, like
most of us, have struggled withfear and anxiety in some shape
or form.
Maybe it's the fear of failingor not being good enough, or
(00:24):
perhaps it's an all-too-familiarknot in your stomach when you
step out of your comfort zone.
You see, fear is deeply human.
Yet if unchecked, it can holdus back from some of our
greatest possibilities.
In today's episode, we'rediving deep into understanding
fear why it's there, how itdevelops and, most importantly,
(00:47):
how we can take control back.
We'll explore some keytechniques to not only stop fear
and anxiety from ruling ourlives, but also to make them
work for us rather than againstus.
So if you're ready, let's begin.
Let's begin.
Hello and welcome to anotherepisode of Transformative Living
(01:09):
Radio.
I'm Andre Flax, your host andcertified life and leadership
coach.
First, I want to thank all ofour listeners for listening in
each week to this podcast.
Now, this is our 51st episodeand I'm so happy that you're
here today supporting thepodcast and sharing it with
those you know.
(01:29):
Now, today's episode is allabout diving deep into
understanding fear why it'sthere, how it develops and, most
importantly, how we can takecontrol back.
We'll also explore some keytechniques that not only stop
fear and anxiety from ruling ourlives, but also to make fear
(01:50):
and anxiety work for us ratherthan against us.
So let's begin by starting withthe basics.
What is fear?
Well, fear is our mind andbody's natural response to a
perceived threat.
It's part of what has kepthumans safe for thousands of
years.
Back then, it was essential forsurvival to be able to react
(02:14):
instantly to a predator or aphysical threat, but in today's
times, fears don't alwaystranslate to actual danger.
In our modern world, you see,our fears often arise from what
could happen, and many arerooted in anxieties about the
future or the judgment fromothers.
So how do we differentiatehealthy fear from debilitating
(02:37):
anxiety?
Well, think of fear as a quickresponse, a helpful instinct,
often without much thought,meant to protect you in the
moment.
Now anxiety, on the other hand,is ongoing and is often rooted
in worries that don't have animmediate danger attached to
them, but can feel just asintense.
(03:00):
Now, the first key to stoppingfear and anxiety is to
understand the power of your ownthoughts.
Studies have shown that simplyrecognizing our fear and naming
it helps us to regain somecontrol.
You see, our brains are wiredto focus on what we think about,
which can increase stress orreduce it, depending on where we
(03:21):
direct our attention.
When fear arises, try to slowdown, name it and then ask
yourself is this fear based onsomething real or something I'm
imagining?
This one habit, which is toobserve the fear, can help you
see the difference between areal threat and one that is
(03:43):
imagined.
Now, a helpful technique forpracticing this is grounding.
When you feel overwhelmed byfear and anxiety, take a moment
to observe something around youin detail.
This could be noticing thetexture of a fabric, feeling the
ground under your feet orfocusing on your breath.
Now, this process is known as astate interrupt, which helps
(04:04):
you break the feeling of anxietyand brings you back to the
present moment, where most fearsdissolve.
So let's talk about the cycle offear and anxiety.
Here's how the cycle usuallyhappens we have an imagined
thought that creates the feelingof fear, which then leads to
worry and anxiety, and then ourmind fills with the worst-case
(04:27):
scenarios.
This amplifies the fear,creating a loop that's hard to
escape from Now.
One powerful tool to disruptthis loop is to practice
mindfulness.
When we can bring our focus tothe present, we take away the
fuel for anxiety.
Mindfulness practices like deepbreathing or meditation can
(04:50):
calm our nervous system,allowing us to step back and see
our fear from a differentperspective.
Try this quick exercise ifyou're somewhere safe where you
could do it.
Close your eyes Now, take adeep breath and exhale.
Focus on your breath.
(05:14):
Notice each inhale and eachexhale.
If a fear pops up, acknowledgeit.
Then gently bring yourattention back to your breath.
Use this quick exercisewhenever you're feeling fear or
anxiety and watch it workwonders for relieving your fear
and anxiety in the moment.
Now that we understand the cycle, let's talk about another
(05:37):
powerful tool you could use tohelp you break the fear cycle,
called reframing.
Now, reframing is the art oflooking at fear from a new angle
.
Now, reframing is the art oflooking at fear from a new angle
.
Instead of asking why am Iafraid, ask what is this fear
telling me?
Let me give you an example.
Imagine you're preparing tostart a new job and you feel the
(06:01):
familiar tightness in yourchest.
Instead of letting fear stopyou, you use it as a source of
curiosity.
Ask yourself what can this fearteach me?
Or what would I do if I weren'tafraid?
Now I remember a time early inmy career that I struggled with
fear and anxiety.
As a young sales professional,there were times when I would
(06:24):
completely become paralyzed whenmeeting with high-level
executives.
When I would completely becomeparalyzed when meeting with
high-level executives, however,instead of seeing my fear as a
barrier, I began to view it as asign that I needed to improve
my self-image as well as myself-confidence.
This simple shift in my mindsettransformed my approach,
turning an intimidatingsituation into an opportunity
(06:47):
for my professional growth.
So what are some practicalstrategies that we can start
using today to help us to takecontrol of fear and anxiety?
The first and most importantstrategy is to challenge
negative thoughts.
You see, fear is an emotion andall emotions begin with the
(07:09):
thought, and usually, when theemotion of fear arises within us
, it's because we're thinkingsomething negative.
So the first strategy would beto write down your fears, then
question each of them by askingis this really true?
Challenge the validity of thenegative thoughts.
This really true?
(07:31):
Challenge the validity of thenegative thoughts.
By doing so, you decrease theemotional energy behind the
thought, allowing you to directyour attention to a positive
thought.
Now, if fear is stopping youfrom a big goal, one strategy to
overcome this fear is to breakdown the goal into small,
manageable actions.
Each small wins buildsconfidence, reducing fear over
(07:57):
time.
Visualizing success versusfailure is another powerful
strategy that will help youovercome fear and anxiety.
You see, our minds are prone tofocus on failure scenarios.
Try visualizing success instead.
Imagine yourself overcoming thefear, achieving the goal and
(08:19):
how you'll feel afterwards.
You see, visualization createsa positive blueprint in your
mind.
Creating a supportiveenvironment is another strategy
for overcoming fear and anxiety.
By surrounding ourselves withpeople who encourage and uplift
us helps reinforce our abilityto face fears with strength and
courage.
Now, another very importantstrategy for overcoming fear and
(08:41):
anxiety is the practice ofself-compassion and patience.
You see, when we consistentlypractice being kind to ourselves
and allow ourselves to bepatient in the process of
overcoming our fears and anxiety, we will begin to see
incremental progress in ourability to identify our fear and
(09:02):
challenge them one by one.
Remember, overcoming fear isn'ta race.
Be kind to yourself through theprocess.
If you take one step back,that's okay.
Growth takes time.
Now, believe it or not.
The biggest barrier to ourdreams isn't fear, it's regret.
Often, fear stops us fromtaking action and, in turn, this
(09:26):
leads to a lifetime of what-ifs.
Imagine a life without regret.
What would you do differently?
It's been said that we onlyregret the chances we don't take
.
Living courageously doesn'tmean being fearless.
It means choosing to act evenwhen fear is present.
(09:49):
Now, just for a moment, I wantyou to think about something
that you've been wanting to dobut have been putting it off
because of fear.
Now picture your life in a year, five years or maybe even 10,
if you keep letting fear holdyou back.
How does that feel?
Now picture what your lifecould look like if you did face
(10:10):
that fear.
Imagine the growth, theexperiences you would have and
even the confidence that youwould gain.
You see, fear and anxietybegins in our mind and we can't
just let it go.
And when we are able toidentify and control the
negative thoughts that producethe emotion of fear and anxiety,
(10:30):
we will be able to reduce thelevel of fear and anxiety we
feel in the moment.
Now, as we wrap up this episodetoday, I hope you're walking
away with a clearerunderstanding of fear and, most
importantly, how to take backcontrol.
Remember, fear is a naturalpart of life, but it doesn't
(10:51):
have to control you.
It's there to protect you, notto keep you from the life you
want.
Challenge your fears, reframethem, use them as tools for
growth, not as walls that stopyou from living fully.
So the next time you're facingsomething intimidating, ask
yourself what would I do if Iweren't afraid?
(11:12):
You might surprise yourselfwith the answer.
Well, that's our show for today.
We hope that you found thisepisode both insightful and
inspiring.
Join us each week for practicaltips, actionable insights and
inspiring stories to help youtransform your life.
We hope you can join us.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
We'll see you soon To experience a free coaching
session with Andre Flex.
Click the link in the shownotes to book your coaching
session today, or contact him atandre at
transformativelivingradiocom.
If you enjoyed this episode,leave us a comment wherever you
get your podcasts and share itwith friends.
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