How to Overcome a Fearful and Scary Situation

By Stanley Popovich

Sleepless man in bed

It is not easy to deal with the fear of the unknown, however sometimes the fear can be worse than the situation.


All most everybody worries about what will happen when they face a stressful and scary situation. The prospect of not knowing what to do can be frightening. As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how to manage the fear of an upcoming situation.

The first thing a person can do is to visualize doing the scary task in their mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that you are playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

Try to find the motivation from within before performing the task. You will be more successful if you have a solid reason for doing the task. If you are not sure why you are doing a certain task, then the fear will get the best of you. Having the motivation and enthusiasm will help you to manage the fear and increase your chances of success.

When encountering a scary situation that gets us all upset, always remember to get all of the facts of the given situation. Gathering the facts can prevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful assumptions. By focusing on the facts, a person can rely on what is reality and what is not.

Take it one step at a time. Don't try to do too much at the same time because you will be easily overwhelmed. Take it slow and go at your own pace. Remember that each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. You never know when the answers you are looking for will come to your doorstep. We may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

No one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can't predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, let's say at your place of work that you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

It is not easy to deal with the fear of the unknown, however sometimes the fear can be worse than the situation. If you have trouble managing your anxiety, then talk to someone who can make you feel better.
Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information visit www.managingfear.com.

Copyright © Stan Popovich. Used with permission of the author. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or distributed.
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