Courage also helps us to act against those who threaten, or who act in a bad way. The Western world has traditionally revered bravery for itself; success is not necessary if courage is shown. The celebration of bravery as an end in itself is seen in the celebration in the UK of Robert Falcon Scott, a man who not only failed in his mission to get to the South Pole first, but died on the way back, along with three of his team.
Spectacular failure, but unmistakeable courage: he and they knew the risks, yet chose to go ahead with their expedition anyway.
Looking after your physical and mental health is important. It is, however, not enough. Based on some of our most popular content, this eBook will help you to live that life. Fear and overconfidence are generally viewed as undesirable emotions. They make us feel bad, either at the time or afterwards. Being afraid tells you when you are concerned that you may not survive something.
However, as our page on Managing Emotions points out, your emotional response may not be rational. It is almost certainly linked to memory, perhaps a past experience, or something you may have read.
Courage gives us the strength to evaluate an emotional response fear and act rationally and rightly. In addition to opening yourself up to others, admit you have fears. Identifying what you are truly afraid of gives you the information you need to overcome the fears and insecurities.
Exposing yourself to your fears is a great way to overcome a phobia or fear. People who feel afraid of snakes often change their minds after handling snakes with the help of a trained professional. Part of a positive attitude is allowing others to love you and show you affection. If you are the kind of person who refuses favors, let others do nice things for you.
Sometimes you experience fear due to exhaustion. Make sure you eat well, get enough sleep and exercise. Take breaks and take your vacation time. We all need a break. Another important way to overcome fear is to show your courage.
Usually, we think of habits as actions, like brushing your teeth or exercising. But habits also consist of our behavioral responses to different emotions. For many people, fear-based responses are the natural, habitual response to adversity, because our brains tend to seek the fastest, most efficient way to relieve stress when we feel it. That means we rely on solutions that have provided short-term stress relief in the past—like procrastinating in response to feelings of self-doubt, or putting perfectionism into overdrive which eventually ends up sabotaging us through burnout.
How do you manage fear differently? Drawing from research on habit formation and stress reduction—and my own work with clients facing fear—I have discovered four useful strategies for dealing with fear and moving closer to courage. Fear shows up in the body, often as sweaty palms, a sick-feeling stomach, or a vague sense of discomfort. Once our bodies head into fear mode, we need a way to recognize the signs and work with what the feelings are telling us.
A body-based practice can help. In fact, research shows that putting your feelings into words helps curb your negative responses to fear. Instead, it makes you brave. After all, it is not easy to acknowledge where you are vulnerable. So, if you are able to acknowledge your fears, you're one step closer to being courageous. Consequently, rather than minimizing your fear or denying that it exists, recognize what is holding you back.
By acknowledging your fear—either by writing it down or by sharing it with a supportive person—you are empowering yourself to be courageous in spite of feeling fearful. When it comes to living a life filled with courage, it helps to begin by identifying what you're good at as well as where you have been successful.
In fact, research shows that people who recognize and develop their strengths not only feel happier and less depressed but are also more resilient. Additionally, knowing what you're good at helps boost your confidence, which makes it more likely you will take risks and be courageous.
Likewise, when you're confident in your abilities, you're much more willing to go all-in when an opportunity presents itself. What's more, when you are struggling with fear and want to incorporate more courage in your life, it's natural to focus on your shortcomings and your weaknesses.
But, doing this just makes it less likely that you will feel courageous. For this reason, it's important to think about what you're good at as a way of building your confidence and your courage.
When it comes to being courageous, it's helpful to imagine not only the worst thing that could happen if you take a risk but also what would happen if you didn't act at all. Many times, comparing the two extremes is all you need to move beyond your fears because most of the time, the worst thing that could happen is often minimal in comparison to what you could gain by acting. If you regularly use comparisons like these, you will build an immunity to letting your fears control you over time.
Additionally, you can create scenarios where you envision yourself doing something that you're afraid of. Imagine how you will handle each possible scenario including how you might respond or what you might say.
These exercises are a way for you to practice being courageous without having to put yourself out there until you feel ready. When you let fear keep you from doing something fun, going after something you want, or expressing who you are at your core, it can result in a life that is not truly lived. And if you want to change that aspect of your life, it's going to take being intentional about your life. Building your courage muscles requires that you push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone.
Consequently, choose some scenarios that make you uncomfortable, but where the stakes are not as high. In other words, practice being courageous by overcoming little fears like meeting new people or eating alone in a restaurant before you tackle something like taking the lead on a project or heading up your community's toy drive.
By starting small, you can get used to being courageous without a lot of risks at first. Eventually, you will get to the point where you can take bigger risks. Sometimes people experience fear or feel like they lack courage simply because they are exhausted and the thought of doing anything more just seems too overwhelming.
If you find that you're feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, or bogged down, look for ways to relieve stress. It's hard to feel courageous when you are stressed out. Consequently, look for ways to reduce the stress in your life. In addition to taking care of yourself, look for ways to unwind and decompress. In some instances, that might mean taking a short vacation or some much-needed time off work. Everyone needs a break now and then. So, if you feel too overwhelmed with the thought of trying to be more courageous, it could be that you first need to reduce the stress in your life.
0コメント