Exercise fears. The easiest way to deal with fear

If we try to analyze our experiences, then we stop experiencing them. N. Bor.

Four Practical Methods for Dealing with Fear. Choose an exercise you like and do it in a relaxed environment. If you find it difficult to decide, start with breathing exercises from fear.

1. Francine Shapiro DXP method - Desensitization and processing by eye movement.

1. Make sure that no one will disturb you during the exercise. Recall in detail the place or situation when you were most calm and confident in yourself - let's call it a "safe place".
2. Sit up straight with your shoulders back, looking straight ahead. Choose two points to your right and left that you can see by moving your eyes from side to side, while the neck remains motionless. Now recall the situation, feelings, or memories that cause you fear, anxiety, or anxiety. Keep thinking about the situation that frightens you and start moving your pupils so that the left and right points alternately fall into your field of vision. Choose a pace that is comfortable for you, but do not stop (!) After making ~ 24 - 36 eye movements from side to side, distract yourself from thinking about the situation that bothers you and listen to your general well-being and sensations in the body. Where, what worries? What thoughts, images, feelings came to mind at the same time?
3. Start a new set of eye movements. Keep thinking about the situation or person that is bothering you and keep track. Ask yourself what could be the relationship between them? What is the meaning of these unpleasant sensations?
4. You will be surprised by the information revealed to you, but in any case, after completing the exercise, ask yourself, has your attitude towards fear changed? How has your attitude towards yourself changed?
5. To restore inner balance, mentally return to a “safe place” and stay there for a while.
6. In general, about 10 sessions of 30-60 minutes each are needed to have a tangible effect in the form of a significant decrease in the level of fear.

2. Breathing exercises for fear.

Lying on a hard surface, begin to breathe deeply. Now remember how you breathe when you fall asleep or when you just wake up. Usually this breathing is barely perceptible, very quiet and extremely slow. Breathe that sleepy breath.

Slow down your breathing, gradually and slowly make it quieter and slower, even if it becomes completely imperceptible. Slow down your breathing as much as you can, let it become less and less.

A few minutes of such breathing will remove the feeling of groundless fear and anxiety.

Why is this exercise so useful for feelings of anxiety and causeless fear? A person who knows how to slow down his breathing almost to its complete imperceptibility should no longer be afraid of anything, because the true, deep, hidden cause of almost any fear is the cessation of life, that is, the cessation of breathing. Notice how fear literally paralyzes your breath.

From the point of view of anatomy in the body, breathing slows down, slows down metabolic processes, adrenaline enters the blood less actively, which means that both anxiety and excitement are reduced.

3. Exercise “Draw your fear”

Take colored pencils or felt-tip pens and a sheet of A4 paper.

Draw your fear and give it a name. What is shown in the picture? What feelings did you have while drawing? Write or mentally write a story about your fear named...

Now it's up to you to destroy your fear of your choice:

• burn or tear and throw away the drawing of fear;
• turn scary into funny by drawing a picture;
• decorate him to make him cute or kind;
• or come up with your own version.

Now answer the following questions for yourself:

• What method of getting rid of fear did you choose?
• What is this fear now?
• What feelings did you have during the "deliverance"?
• Has your attitude towards this fear changed now?

4. Exercise “Cinema”

1. To begin, choose an unpleasant experience, fear, or traumatic memory that you would like to neutralize.
2. Imagine that you are in a cinema. See yourself in black and white on a screen doing something neutral.
3. Separate yourself and see yourself looking at the screen.
4. Remaining in the same position, look at the screen, where there is a black and white film in which you are experiencing the experience that you want to "neutralize".
5. When you have finished observing yourself as a participant in the film, when everything is back to normal, stop the film, go back into your image on the screen, make it color and rewind the film very quickly. So, you will have the impression that you are watching a movie with your own image, in which time goes backwards.
6. And now check the result. Remember what happened. Pay attention to whether you can now think about it more calmly.

Kryon: Where there is love, there is no fear.

Dear ones, everything in the world is love and light. This is Divine truth. This is the only reality. Everything else is an illusion. A God who loves you could not create a world of fear, pain, deceit and darkness. God created only light and love. But you, beautiful angels, wanted to experience the forces of light and love in a place where there is no light and love. You wanted to bring light and love to such a place. But there is simply no such place in the Divine world! God did not create and could not create it. But in order for you to experience yourself and your light, He created the illusion of darkness. He created a place where you can play that darkness exists, that fears exist. You understand? This place is planet Earth, which is a playground, a stage where you can express yourself, your angelic essence, the light and love of God that you have brought with you.

Fears are not real. The world of fears is unreal. You are just playing, pretending that the fears really exist. Remember this! If you truly remember, no fear will have any more power over you.

You have nothing to fear, because in reality you are not in danger. And all you need to do is expose your fears. Laugh in their faces and tell them what you know for sure: fear- chimera, he deceives you. He is illusory, he is a mirage. He threatens you, but he can't do anything to you.

The world of fear is made for play. Myself fear- a game. But where there is love, there is not and cannot be fear. Fear and love are incompatible. Bring love into your world and there will be no room for fear. And if fear scares you, take it as a challenge. He's scary - but you know there's nothing to be scared of. He scares - and you, having accepted his challenge, will not be afraid. And the fear itself will go away, frightened. And then you will understand that he did not really exist, but there was only a shadow, there was a ghost that cannot harm you in any way.

Don't be afraid, dear ones. Do not be afraid! God lives inside each of you, and God is fearless. Your Divine family is always with you. Do not be separated from her anywhere and ever. Do not be separated from God, and you will have nothing to fear.

Your personal piece of paradise: a place where fears disappear

This exercise will help you get rid of fears and find peace of mind. You can perform it from time to time - when you feel the need for it.

Sit in a comfortable position, relax, close your eyes. Breathe slowly and measuredly. Turn your inner gaze to the region of the heart. Direct your attention deep into your heart. Imagine that you are entering some other dimension - a dimension of higher vibrations, where there is more light and breathing is much easier. There is a point in your heart through which entry into this higher dimension is possible.

Once in this other dimension, you enter the realm of peace. Breathe inaudibly, as if you are listening to the surrounding space. You hear silence, and it is calm, peaceful silence. This is your inner silence, which even interference from the outside world does not interfere with listening to. The outside world seems to be moving away. You hear and perceive it as if from a distance, from afar. Because now you belong to another dimension - the dimension of your soul.

Imagine how the peace and quiet of this dimension gradually embraces you. Your thoughts calm down, your feelings calm down, your body calms down to every cell. Relax your muscles, calm your nerves. Peace seems to flow within you.

Now imagine the most pleasant place for you somewhere in the bosom of nature. You can imagine, for example, a seashore, or a beautiful flowering garden. Or you can even imagine an entire island that is completely yours. You can imagine many wonderful places on this island. There may be flower meadows, and streams, and palm groves, and rivers with waterfalls, and high mountains. There may be a palace, or a house full of flowers, and a temple, and many animals and birds with which you would be pleased to communicate. There is always a blue sky, and there is never bad weather. There everything is created for your soul - as you want. It's also the safest and most secure place imaginable. No one and nothing will come there, except for those beings whom you yourself will call.

This is how you create your idea of ​​heaven on earth. You are creating your own personal piece of paradise.

Know that this place exists in reality - in that higher dimension, the exit to which opens through your heart. And you can go back there whenever you want.

Here you can gain strength, relax, feel safe. Here you can prepare for some important events in your life and make the right decisions.

Live in your corner of paradise, connecting all the senses for this.

Imagine the most pleasant aromas, the freshness of the air, the blue of the sky, the brightness of flowers, the singing of birds. And every time you will draw new strength there, purify and renew your soul.

The shining mantle of God is your protective garment

This exercise should only be done when you feel fear in front of something that threatens you, or in front of some dangerous or responsible situation that lies ahead of you. Exercise will help both in case of fear of a real danger, and when your fear irrational, that is, it has no real basis.

When you are afraid of something, imagine that you are wearing a beautiful shining robe - the mantle of God. You can imagine this mantle the way you want, the way you like it best - the main thing is that when you mentally put it on, you feel your Divine power and invulnerability. Enter into the well-being of God - as you imagine it. Imagine that you are getting taller and bigger - so that everything fears seem small and insignificant.

Tell yourself

“I am God. I wear the mantle of God. I have light and love. With me strength and invulnerability.

If fear still overcomes you, imagine how the mantle turns into armor. This is a powerful shining protection. Say to yourself, “I put on the armor of God. With me absolute protection.

Feel the illusion of fears

This exercise it is advisable to perform when you feel strong and balanced enough. You do not need to perform it if you are tired, feel unwell, or your emotions are unstable. The exercise is safe, but it will require you to focus, believe in yourself and emotional stability. If you feel that you are not coping, just stop the exercise and put it off until the time when you have the necessary strength and self-confidence for this.

Find an opportunity to be alone with yourself so that no one bothers you. Take any comfortable, relaxed position. Close your eyes. Breathe calmly and measuredly, allowing any tension to leave your body.

Imagine that you are in the mountains. Rockfall begins. You see that small pebbles are flying from above. You know for sure that they won't harm you. Stones fly around you without even touching.

But then the stone flies right at you. This is a small pebble, but it flies from a great height and with great speed. You understand that you can no longer dodge.

The stone passes through you without causing you any harm.

You are calm and relaxed. Larger stones fly next - but they pass through you in the same way, without causing you any harm. Finally, a huge stone flies - a whole mountain. It seems that it can flatten you into a cake - this other giant passes through you (or you through it), while you don’t even feel anything, as if emptiness has passed through you.

If you coped with this task without any unpleasant emotions - continue to perform the exercise further.

Imagine that someone is aiming a gun at you. A shot rings out - the bullet passes through you without causing you the slightest harm.

Knives are thrown at you - they also pass through you.

A car rushes at you - and passes through you.

You fall into the water, sink to the bottom - and find yourself breathing easily under water, as if there is air around you. You float easily, the water does not harm you.

You fall from a great height, slow down your falling speed in flight, land softly, and go on as if nothing had happened.

Next, work your own fears- what you are afraid of. Imagine that you come out unscathed from any alterations, troubles and disasters. All dangers pass through you and nothing happens to you.

Performing such visualizations, you perceive yourself as a Spirit - immortal, invulnerable, with which nothing can really happen.

This exercise acts as a good prevention against any fears.

Overcoming the fear of death

Fear of death- the main human fear, it underlies all other fears. win fear of death- means to get out from under the power of any fear.

As he says Kryon, this exercise will require concentration, composure and a certain courage. Our consciousness is arranged in such a way that it resists everything unpleasant. We unconsciously drive away unpleasant sensations, feelings, emotions from ourselves. But by driving them away, we do not get rid of them. We just go into a state of unconsciousness. We don't want to know how we really feel. Hence - inadequate reactions and wrong decisions, because it is feelings that help us navigate reality.

If there are unpleasant feelings associated, among other things, with the fear of death, one must open up to these feelings and live them. This is not as scary and unpleasant as it might seem. If you don't close and allow yourself to truly experience them, these feelings will only last for a few moments. They will be followed by the joy of liberation and the feeling that a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Stay alone with yourself - not for long, 10-15 minutes is enough. Just make sure no one bothers you. It is very important that you feel completely safe. Whatever you imagine now in your imagination, nothing threatens you in reality. Therefore, you can calmly and without fear surrender to any experiences.

Take any comfortable and relaxed posture. Breathe evenly, deeply and measuredly, focusing on your breath to free yourself from extraneous thoughts.

Think about any of the situations that you fear that you think might threaten you with fear of death.

You already know that death is not the end, but only a transition to another state of being. This is a homecoming that is not to be feared. If the fear remains, imagine that what you are afraid of has happened. Imagine that something inevitable threatens you, and nothing can be done.

Step into those experiences. Imagine the end of the life you knew. It will no longer continue, and you just have to say goodbye to this segment of your being.

Give vent to regrets and tears if they arise. Unleash the despair that everything ends - and the desperate desire to continue to live! You will certainly feel it if you honestly and sincerely step towards the experience of the last moment of being.

When you openly and honestly experience these feelings, you will feel their true truth and purity. It will take you a few moments to get through it.

Then you will feel that the fear is gone. You will also feel a renewal - and most importantly, a renewed feeling that you are alive, and a sense of the joy of being.

you've been through fear of death. After that, your perception of both life and death will inevitably change. You will become a little different - more fearless, more knowledgeable, more powerful.

If the first time you can’t completely immerse yourself in these feelings, postpone the exercise. There is no need to artificially evoke these feelings, no need to get too immersed in experiences and get stuck in them for a long time. If you've been trying too long to create and hold on to experiences, then you haven't quite opened up to fear yet. When you open up to him, feelings arise spontaneously and easily, and pass very quickly.

Repeat exercise when you are ready, when you feel more confident and strong. Perhaps, if you give such a task to the subconscious, the desired state will arise on its own at the right moment, and you will not have to specifically look for the time and place for this.

In any case, your attempts to take a step towards fear and the experiences associated with them will not be in vain - your perception will change, and your fears will inevitably begin to recede.

This exercise not for frequent use. Sometimes it is enough to do it once or twice. If necessary, return to it again, but after a break of at least two to three months.

Program your way out of fear without hurting yourself

It's meditative exercise helps to get rid of obsessive fears - phobias that at first glance have no real reason: for example, fear of heights, water, enclosed spaces, etc. You can perform it at any time both for prevention and on the eve of a situation that provokes the manifestation of this fear.

Stay alone with yourself, relax, calm down, enter a state of peace. Realize that you are safe now, you have nothing to fear. Think about the fear that haunts you the most. Imagine that you are in a situation in which this fear usually manifests itself.

For example: afraid of water - imagine yourself in the water, in the sea or river, far from the shore; afraid of heights - imagine yourself standing over a steep cliff, afraid of the dark - imagine yourself in a dark room, etc.

Allow yourself to experience the usual symptoms of fear: palpitations, tension, tremors in the knees, etc. Admit to yourself that you are afraid that this situation makes you afraid. Do not hide from fear and do not try to suppress its symptoms, live it, feel it.

Then tell yourself:

“I will get out of this situation alive and unharmed. Nothing can happen to me. I won't stay here. I will get through this fear and go free. I won't stay here. I'll get out of here. I'll get out of here without any harm to myself. There is no danger. I go through this situation - and get out of it ".

Imagine how you successfully get out of a dangerous situation: swim ashore, move away from a cliff (or gain wings and take off over an abyss), turn on the light in the dark, leave an enclosed space, etc.). Feel the freedom and joy of being you conquered fear, you left him, he could not do anything to you.

When you learn to live such situations in your imagination - you can apply this technique in real life if you have this fear again: immediately remind yourself that you can go through this situation without harm to yourself, that you will not stay in it and fear will not conquer you, you will come out of it and be free.

Releasing Fear at the DNA Level

Sometimes it is difficult for us to let go of fear, because its program is written at the DNA level. Do this exercise if you have one obsessive fear- it will help to erase the unwanted program and replace it with the light and love of God, Divine energy and information that excludes the manifestation of fear. This exercise must be performed repeatedly, but it is better not every day, but intermittently - returning to it only when you feel that fear still has power over you. Be patient, such programs are usually not rewritten at once, it takes time and effort. You will notice how they gradually weaken, and eventually disappear altogether.

Stay alone with yourself, take any comfortable and relaxed position, tune in to peace and tranquility. Feel comfortable and safe. Think of a situation where your fear manifests itself. Imagine that you are in this situation. Allow the symptoms of fear to manifest in the body. Pay attention to which area of ​​the body these symptoms are most noticeable and strongest.

Mentally direct the energy of light and love into this area of ​​the body. Imagine how a soft glow spills over there and dissolves tension and discomfort. Imagine how this radiance penetrates into every cell and permeates it through and through. Breathe deeply and measuredly. Say out loud:

"I'm erasing the fear programming from every cell of my body, I'm erasing the fear programming written into my DNA and replacing it with the light and love of God." Repeat several times, continuing to imagine a soft glow, release tension.

Come back to it periodically. exercise, repeat it even when the symptoms of fear appear in your reality. Do it until the fear is completely gone from your body.

The flow takes away all worries

This exercise can be performed as often as you want - in any situation where you feel anxiety and anxiety, both for real reasons and for no reason. This meditation helps a lot, for example, on the eve of some event that is important to you, and you want it to go well.

Stay alone for a while, take a comfortable position, close your eyes, and imagine that you are easily swaying on a wave in the sea and letting it carry you, or floating along the river, or, if you don’t want to imagine yourself in the water, imagine that you watch how a clear and transparent stream of water carries a paper boat, or a leaf of a tree, or a flower. Imagine letting go of control and trusting that flow.

Then imagine that you become that flow. It doesn't have to be a flow of water - just imagine the movement of energy. Tell yourself

“I am the flow. I trust the flow of energy, because it is the energy of light and love. This energy restores harmony. This energy directs all events to the right place. Everything is right, everything is fine, everything is as it should be.

Remain a while longer in the sensations of moving in the flow. This will relieve your anxiety.

Exercise can be done in the evening, lying in bed, before falling asleep - it only takes a few minutes. Your sleep will improve as a result.

from the book: Schmidt Tamara - "Kryon. 85 Essential Practices for Gaining Power, Light, Protection and Love".

Probably, there is no such person who would not be afraid of anything in his life. Fear is the emotion that keeps us safe. It allows you to see a potentially dangerous situation and either avoid it or prepare for it.

And, along with this, fear can go beyond its protective function and begin to bring trouble to a person. This happens when the power of fear is not adequate to the real danger and rather hinders than helps a person to cope with the situation: freezing when you need to act, turning off thinking, body paralysis, tachycardia, holding your breath, trembling, tension, etc.

Professor Yu. V. Shcherbatykh highlights three main types of insurance:

1. Biological. Associated with a danger to human life and health (fear of heights, childbirth, injury, fire, natural phenomena).

2. Social. Fear for a change in social status (fear of public speaking, failure, responsibility, intimacy, rejection, inadequacy).

3. Existential. Associated with the very essence of man and available to one degree or another for everyone (fear of death, loneliness, the unknown).

There are also intermediate forms of fear, standing on the verge of two sections. These include, for example, the fear of disease. On the one hand, the disease has a biological nature (pain, damage, suffering), but on the other hand, it has a social nature (shutdown from normal activities, separation from the team, reduced income, dismissal from work, poverty, etc.).

The request to get rid of fear and anxiety is very common in the practice of a psychologist. This work has at least two levels:

We can work with an unpleasant state that occurs in specific situations.

And we can look deeper - at the reasons that caused fear. For example, behind the fear of public speaking, there may be dependence on the opinions of others, the requirement for oneself to be the best everywhere and in everything, inadequate self-esteem, trauma received earlier when faced with someone's negative assessment, etc.

In his work, the psychologist focuses on the client's request and his willingness to explore the root causes of the problem.

First What is important to know in working with fear is that you have the right to feel what you feel. Each of us has reasons to be afraid of certain things. And least of all, in the fight against fear, condemnation and criticism of oneself helps. Only on the basis of self-support and acceptance is it possible to build effective work with this emotion.

Second that it is important for us to find out - how much does fear correspond to real danger? In a situation of threat to the health and further functioning of the individual, fear is a faithful assistant. It is important to take into account its healthy part, learn to rely on it, so as not to get into trouble due to excessive carelessness. In other cases, we can talk about the so-called neurotic fear, which is formed from past traumas. If the impact of traumatic events or other people's behavior has been great, intense fear may arise in situations that only remotely resemble what happened and, thereby, prevent a person from acting adequately and reasonably. For example, if a woman had a negative relationship with a particular man, she may begin to fear all men and relationships with them in general.

General strategy for dealing with fear:

Recognize the spontaneous reaction of fear;

Look fear in the eye

Find its cause;

Assess the adequacy of fear and the likelihood of its implementation;

Find resources to overcome and plan actions.

Here are some techniques for working with fear that you can use on your own.

Exercise "Fear in the body"

Try to imagine where fear is located in your body. What does it look like, does it have a shape, color, consistency. Whether he is moving or at rest.

Once you have visualized this emotion, ask yourself, "What can I do to get fear out of my body?" You have unlimited possibilities - what comes to your mind?

You may be able to breathe it out, spit it out, or pull it out with your hands. Try it right now. After a while, remember this fear and check if there is something left of it in the body or if it is completely gone.

The separation metaphor works very well at a deep unconscious level, which makes this technique particularly effective.

Exercise "Worst"

If you're worried about the future, it makes sense to look that fear in the eye. Think: what could be the worst case scenario? Write down the worst thing that can happen. After that, prepare yourself - if this option suddenly becomes a reality - what will be your next steps? Write some ways out of this situation. And then evaluate what is the probability of this particular scenario. If we know that we have a plan of action, even in the worst case, this greatly reduces anxiety from the unknown.

Exercise "All the way around"

Fear dictates certain actions to us. And, if we follow his instructions, our reaction is recorded at the reflex level. We begin to act automatically. This exercise helps break automaticity and develop new reactions.

Draw three columns on a piece of paper. In the first column, write down the fears that are bothering you. In the second, what actions this fear dictates to you.

For example: I'm scared when my boss tells me off. Fear dictates - to stand with eyes on the floor and be silent.

In the third column, write a new action that will be the opposite of what you do under the influence of fear. In our example, this could be - look directly into the eyes of the boss. If you are numb, try to consciously relax your muscles, if you are holding your breath, start breathing deeper. You can replace fear with another emotional manifestation - rage, laughter, surprise.

After that, test your new ways of responding in practice to reinforce them.

Exercise "Reliance on the body"

Working with your body can help get rid of fear. Find support in the truest sense of the word. If you feel increasing anxiety - choose the most comfortable position, put both feet on the floor if you are sitting or spread your legs a little wider if you are standing. Lean against the back of a chair or wall. Increase the distance between you and the interlocutor, start breathing more slowly and deeply. You can shake your whole body (as if shaking off a numbness) or vigorously pass your hand over your face several times.

When feeling social fear, one of the most effective methods can be to communicate what exactly causes fear in you. You can say, "I get scared when you talk to me like that." Or at the beginning of the speech: "While I was waiting for my turn to speak, I was very worried. And now I'm still worried."

If you find yourself in a situation of emotional or physical pressure in which you could not do anything to regain your balance, after it is over - take care of yourself. Tell someone what you've been through, get support loved one. If necessary, express what you feel through screaming or stamping your feet. This will allow you to release accumulated emotions and not waste energy on suppressing them inside.

There is an expression that a brave person is not one who is not afraid, but one who acts in spite of fear. Overcoming many fears is helped by recognizing and then accepting oneself in a supportive and accepting atmosphere. Often our fears are dictated by unverified other people's opinions and stereotypes against the backdrop of a critical environment. Understanding oneself, a person gradually gains support and confidence in order to confront his anxieties.

If you want to get the help of a specialist in overcoming fears, I will be glad to see you for a consultation. Together we will definitely make it!

Fear, as you know, is inherent in all animals, and people who are to some extent subjected to various stresses, dangerous or emergency incidents are no exception. But fear also becomes your assistant in such situations, since the instinct of self-preservation is triggered. But how not to succumb to animal instinct, panic and learn to control yourself and your fear? What needs to be done and what are your actions in the first moments of contact with fear?

The best thing to do, for starters, is not to give in to it. Moreover, the main thing is not to succumb to the strongest, “delayed fear”. In the first minutes, fear is usually not so strong: it does not have time to quickly and completely take over a person, the inertia of the previous state helps you resist it. But then, often after the disappearance of a specific threat, it is hard. But even this fear can be overcome.

To do this, you must first learn how to switch easily, not to “get stuck” too much on past situations, not to “chew” them for too long, repeatedly returning to the same events. And just... don't be afraid. Especially one should not be afraid of that, the probability of which is not so great. By the way, very often people, on the contrary, do not know how to be afraid of what should be feared.

One of the rules that usually helps to cope with fear is the ability to correctly assess the reality and extent of the threat, as well as the ability to get help. Never close your eyes in fear on the contrary, try to open them wider and look around.

But if you have not coped with yourself, succumbed to fear and turned out to be temporarily “blinded”, then try to quickly cope with it. To do this, it is useful to know at least the simplest psychological techniques.

For example, there is such a simplest psychological technique: they felt fear: start breathing slowly and deeply: deep breath - slow breath. Once again, again and again. And so at least ten times. Even if the purse was torn out, and the criminal has already fled far away, this will help you recover faster and raise the alarm. If the threat that has arisen is of a different nature (say, it’s not about a criminal snatching out a purse, but about a terrorist demanding a ransom for your child), and events are not developing so rapidly, then this kind of “oxygen calm” will still have more sense. In this way, you will be able to effectively use the available time to fully adapt to the situation that has arisen and put the stunned consciousness into work. And there, you see, the awakened mind itself will come up with something useful.

Another very good technique is designed for a more complex situation. Let's say that you were a basement as a result of an explosion. Around the fragments of concrete, and between them - a small niche, and in it - you. The situation is extremely complicated, primarily due to its uncertainty and instability. Give in to panic, start to "twitch" in different directions - the concrete slabs surrounding you will begin to move, and the current relatively tolerable situation will become unthinkable. So, first of all, you need to calm yourself - so as not to make unnecessary involuntary movements.

To do this, it is very useful to simply talk to yourself, and call yourself several times by name. Talking to yourself is useful in that it translates internal, often confusing experiences into the external plane - it sort of unravels them, builds cause-and-effect relationships in a coherent chain, explains to yourself what happened and what position you are in. Such a measured conversation with oneself calms, normalizes the heart rate, and other vegetative manifestations. Calling yourself by name, you are referring to the memory of childhood - after all, it is in childhood that we are protected to the maximum extent, we are safe, and it is in childhood that we are called by name.

There is another useful trick. Remember the girl Julia from the description of K. E. Izard: she got angry at the criminal who snatched her purse, and all the fear went somewhere.

Get angry at something or someone: on the situation, on yourself, on the other person. Anger will replace fear, you will want to act immediately, and then you will no longer be afraid.

Fear can be replaced by fear. Let us give an example from a somewhat different sphere, which testifies to the possibility of such effective repression.

Example: Former military intelligence officer A., ​​who, according to his colleagues, was distinguished by “absolute fearlessness”, told us that after the first stay among the enemies (as one of them) he began to fear that he might someday be exposed. “Once, when I was preparing for another drop into enemy territory, the feeling of anxiety was especially strong. Then I deliberately began to strengthen it, assuring myself that someday I would definitely be exposed and perish. A feeling of fear attacked, it was so strong that I seemed to have experienced my own death in thoughts and feelings. After that, I no longer felt fear. Twice, when I was on the verge of failure, my equanimity embarrassed my opponents and gave me time to get away from danger.

Known methods of Zen (Chan) training, leading, in particular, to the elimination of anxiety and to self-control through the experience in thoughts and feelings of one's own death.

Techniques of this kind are quite complex and not very enjoyable, but they often turn out to be quite effective.

Several ways to overcome fear

1. The very first thing you need to learn to do is openly express your fear.

2. The next step in dealing with fear is ... learning how to get angry properly. More precisely, to express anger and aggression. Here is what Everett Shostrom writes about anger and aggression in his book Anti-Carnegie or the Manipulator. “Hatred is frozen hostility. To hate is to bind your energy. In order not to destroy yourself with hatred, it should be turned into anger that promotes contact ... ... Anger. You want to fight. The body tells you this - the pulse and breathing become more frequent, muscle tone increases. And the worst thing you can do is suppress your physiological needs, drive the emotion inside.

Now that the two most important areas (learning to show fear and learning to show anger) of working with fear have been outlined, we can talk about ways to work with fear.

Fear Overcoming Exercises

1. Start with acting techniques: take on facial expressions, the pose of a very frightened person - hide your head in your shoulders, shrink, bend your knees and try to feel or restore the feelings that you experienced in a situation when you were afraid. If you were afraid of aggression, remember this case, imagine yourself there again. Add feelings of fear. More! The more you feel fear, the better.

Now straighten your shoulders and take a pose happy person, smile in the whole mouth, laugh. You must really feel the joy.

Now become the aggressor - play hate, growl, hate. Now fear again, more fully, more clearly feel the fear. Now again aggression, real, covering all feelings. Move from emotion to emotion. The transition will be slow at first. Then almost instantly.

2. Play with your partner: let him show you fear, and you show aggression. Then switch roles. If you're into martial arts, try playing this in the ring.

3. Beating another is as scary for many as being beaten. Go to the boxing section. In shooting, this fear is worked out by shooting from photographs, which personally disgusts me, but shooting involves the destruction of the enemy, and this is usually necessary in situations where slightly different rules apply.