The fear factory

Fear: an intense emotion or sensation that not all is well: a sense of danger, a threat of harm, pain or suffering. Panic: a notion of being out of control or overwhelmed. Panic attack: a physical and biological response to being overwhelmed. Anxiety: unease, nervousness, worry or apprehension. Social anxiety: a nervousness in social settings. Phobia: a strong aversion to something; an irrational fear.

For many people fear is an absolute killer. It stops us from moving forward in life and can block our energy and our ability to fulfil our potential. So how might we look to overcoming our fears?

Do we dare give our own fears a name? Do we dare to focus on our fears? Can we explore our hopes about what might be on the other side of fear? Can we learn from what other people have done to overcome fear?

Alternatively, might it help you to view fear as part of a process? For example…

What type of production-line system has your brain come up with to ensure that top-quality fear can be triggered at the flick of a switch?

What happens once your fear has been created? How long does it last? And how long before the next batch is ready?

How can you disrupt this manufacture of fear? Can you throw a spanner in the works? And if so, what part of the works would be best to sabotage first?

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life — and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”
Georgia O’Keeffe, artist