Conquering Fear

“Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.”

-Napolean Hill

Introduction:

Let’s keep it real. Has fear ever stopped you from pursuing your goals? If you’re like 99% of the population, you answered, “YES.”

Whether it’s networking and building a great relationship or going after your dream profession, fear always seems to hold us back from making important decisions—the ones that involve a high degree of risk but also have a large reward factor. 

Think back to the last time this happened in your life… 

What opportunity did you miss?

What did fear cost you?

I want you to remember that feeling as you read this.

Defining Fear:

It’s challenging to put fear into words. In the literal sense, it’s an internal feeling (emotion) that helps us make rational decisions for survival and self-preservation purposes. You don’t put your hand in the fire because you fear that it will burn your hand. You don’t swim with sharks because you fear that they will eat you. 

The human body is an old machine, one that was designed to perfection, but we no longer face the same threats that we used to face back in the day. We don’t need to fight off hungry predators (unless you count your boss) or walk long distances to acquire basic resources for sustenance.  

The contingency is as follows: Times have changed, but our bodies haven’t. Emotionally, we still react the same way to a missed deadline as we would to an existential threat. And it’s really not that deep. Nobody is going to kill you for the missed deadline.

(unless you work for the Mafia)

Mental Reframe:

Ever since we were young, we’ve been taught that fear is a bad thing. We should treat fear the same way we would treat an injury: don’t stress it too much, apply medicine (insert coping method), and wait for it to heal. 

You see, fear is not meant to be treated like an injury. It’s so much more than the “negative” emotion people presume it to be. 

One of Andrew Huberman’s students experimented with rats & discovered the neurological effects of reacting to fear.

The first reaction was pausing. When you pause, you’re likely in a state of shock. The rats demonstrated that this method had the least neurological activation. 

The second reaction was retreating. We retreat when fear hijacks our system and convinces us that the threat is too great for us to bear alone. Here, the rats demonstrated that the neurological activation was also low, similar to just being in shock

The third (and final) reaction was confrontation. When the rats confronted the fear-engendering stimulus and successfully overcame it, the results started to get interesting. They released dopamine! The rats' brains neuro-chemically rewarded them for conquering fear. This is the same neurotransmitter that is released when individuals take drugs or scroll on social media. Your brain perceives overcoming challenges as a pleasurable activity.

This study is huge because it allows us to Gamify life. Life is similar to a video game, except when you complete a challenge, you’re rewarded with dopamine instead of in-game points.

Hence, fear is not a negative emotion; it merely indicates a challenge that could amplify your life experience.

Framework for conquering fear

Shi Teng Yi and Jordan Peterson are both renowned thinkers, and they have similar philosophies about overcoming fear. 

(I’ve consolidated their frameworks & teachings to create this process)

It’s a four-step process called the RAID framework:

1. Recognize

2. Acknowledge

3. Investigate

4. Don’t-Identify

Recognize:

What are you scared about? Clearly define your fear & the chain of consequences you perceive to be true. 

Acknowledge:

Understand that you are scared. And that’s perfectly normal. You’re designed to feel fear & it’s merely an indication that there is a challenge ahead of you. 

Investigate: 

Ask yourself, “Why am I scared?”

Analyze your fear & ask questions to reach the roots of your fear.

Usually, when we dig deeper into our fears, we realize that, at the end of the day, there’s only one thing we’re all afraid of: Vulnerability. We’re scared of feeling vulnerable. It’s that simple. 

Don’t Identify:

Realize that your fear does not define you. It’s just a step in your advancement toward self-actualization.

Don’t associate yourself with your fears.

Additional:

There are some physiological hacks to regulate your fear.

Two of my favorite ones include:

1. Breathing

2. Eye-movement

Breathing: When you take deep breaths, your body begins to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This brings about a sense of calmness & peace.

Eye movement: The brain region associated with stress & fear is known as the amygdala. Moving your eyes side-to-side has been shown to suppress the amygdala. 

Closing:

Fear is an instrument for development, but most people don’t see it that way. 

I wrote this post to help you understand what fear really is & how you can wield it to your advantage.

Hopefully, you gained some value from this.

Till next time,

J.R.