Fear is a primal emotion that evolved as a survival instinct. When you feel fearful, your brain kicks into high gear, and your body prepares to fight, flee, faint, or freeze. But what if this paralyzing emotion is negatively affecting your life?
Worrying about everything can put your life on hold. This adverse emotion can stand between you and fulfilling your dreams. Do you long for a meaningful relationship or a rewarding career and are too scared to take the first step?
What are some of the things that make you a bundle of nerves? Are there any ways that you can overcome these emotions? Your first step is to understand what causes you to be afraid, and then you can learn how to deal with them effectively.
12 Reasons That Explain Why People Live in Fear
What makes one person afraid may be nothing to another individual. While everyone can be fearful, some people are imprisoned by it. Here are twelve reasons why many people live in fear and how you can fix it.
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses. Fortunately, mental health specialists help people recover every day. You may fear simple things like going to the store when suffering from this condition. Some folks find that their anxiety controls them and may engage in routines like locking and unlocking the door.
How to Fix It:
If you’ve been diagnosed with GAD, several lifestyle changes can help, suggests an article published by the Mayo Clinic. Staying physically active and following a healthy diet can make a difference. Also, consider relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and visualization.
2. Fear Due to Job Stress
Whether you’re an employer or work for yourself, you’ll always have stress. The constant push to deliver a superior product or service makes your customers happy. In that sense, job stress can be a positive motivator to urge you to do your best.
However, pressures from work can also turn to overthinking and anxiety. Perhaps you become fearful that a project will fail, your clients will leave, or you’ll be fired. The pressure snowballs and you’re afraid you’ll lose your income and can’t support your family.
How to Fix It:
It’s a given that some jobs are more stressful than others. Try to keep a healthy balance between work and leisure time. You may consider another career path if your career becomes so stressful that it affects your well-being.
3. Financial Struggles Can Cause Someone to Feel Fearful
The fear of financial ruin is just as natural for wealthy people as for poor ones. Recent statistics published by USA Facts say that 11.4 percent of Americans live in poverty. Rising living costs and substandard pay are enough to keep your nerves frazzled.
Worrying and overthinking finances can contribute to anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. It gets even worse if you are straining under a mountain of debt. You become fearful of losing your home and everything you’ve worked so hard to obtain.
How to Fix It:
If you’re not making enough money, maybe you need another job. Consider furthering your education and learning new skills. Many social service organizations offer free credit counseling, tips on living within a budget, and job training opportunities.
4. Perfectionism Causes Fear
If you strive to ensure everything is perfect, you might be living in constant worry. It’s scary to think about rejection or not being good enough; if these thoughts rule your head, then so will fear. The downside of perfectionism is that it’s not reality …
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