Fear has a way of taking over our lives. We might suddenly have a great idea or intuitive urge to do something, then along comes ‘fear’ and the tiny flicker of inspiration that lit us up for a moment, is snuffed out forever, never to be pursued.
When fear gets a hold of us, we can feel stuck in a rut but see no possible way out. Fear can stop us from leaving situations that are not good for us, and it can prevent us from following our heart’s deepest yearnings. It can keep us playing small, when in fact we are destined for much, much more.
The crazy thing is, most fear is self-generated. More often than not, there is nothing in our immediate environment that is posing a threat and yet, our mere thoughts trigger the stress response in our body. This kind of fear can be summed up by the acronym F.E.A.R or False Evidence Appearing Real.
Even though human beings have evolved since the time of cave people and we do not need to be constantly on guard in case a hungry tiger leaps out from behind a tree, we are still biologically hard-wired for survival.
These days, when our body’s stress response is activated, it is somewhat of an ‘over-reaction’ for the times we are living in and the stressors we are faced with day-to-day, like being stuck in traffic or having to wait in a queue at the post office. Nevertheless, our primal instinct is to keep ourselves safe.
All it takes is one anxious thought to cross our mind and our whole body can go on high alert. A small organ in the centre of our brain, the amygdala, sends a signal to our nervous system as soon as we perceive ‘a threat’, whether real or imagined. It is the sympathetic branch of the nervous system that is triggered, commonly known as the “fight, flight or freeze” response, and this sets in motion a chain of physical reactions in the body.
Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released, our blood pressure and heart rate increase and we start breathing faster. What’s more, when we are in stress-mode, our reasoning and judgement become impaired. We experience ‘brain fog’ as our complex thinking skills, like decision-making and planning, temporarily go offline.
Unfortunately, for many people who are living with chronic stress these days, these fear-based biological reactions are so familiar they have become a ‘normal’ state of being.
That’s why it’s so important to regularly take time out from our busy lives, in order for our nervous system to switch over to the parasympathetic branch, otherwise referred to as the “rest, digest and heal” response. Our intelligent mind-body system, along with our life-force-energy or “Qi’, knows how to bring our body back into balance and harmony, but we need to give ourselves sufficient relaxation time to allow that to happen.
While even low-level fear can stimulate the stress response, producing very real responses in our bodies, which could eventually lead to illness if prolonged, fear can also infiltrate our lives in other sneaky, subtle ways.
Because of fear, people often close their minds to what is actually possible for them. No matter what excuses the mind may come up with as to why ‘what we want’ isn’t available to us, or why it’s not possible to change something in our lives, underneath all the clever justifications and sensible reasoning, if we dig down far enough, we usually find fear lurking.
One of the best ways to uncover and release our fears is through Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT involves tapping on acupressure points on the face and body to improve the flow of our life-force energy, while at the same time, speaking truthfully about our thoughts and feelings. It works by sending a calming signal to the amygdala, allowing our brain and body to feel safe, and enabling us to process negative emotions.
EFT can be done with guidance from a professional practitioner or used as a self-help tool to release limiting beliefs and unconscious programming that is usually fear-based. It can assist us in moving forward from the past and releasing anxious thoughts and worries about the future.
As George Addair famously quoted, “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear”.
If we truly want the best for ourselves, our families and our society, we need to be willing to face our fears and work through them one-by-one, so that we can make the shift to ‘the other side’ where there is more love, more joy and more peace.
It’s how we free ourselves, from the inside-out.
About the author: Kerrie Womersley is a Certified Advanced Holden Qigong Teacher and Advanced Soul Realignment ‘Akashic Records’ Reader, helping people discover their true Divine nature. Connect with her by visiting www.findyourselfnow.com.
The Find Yourself Qigong Online Studio is a safe and sacred space, especially for empaths, introverts and highly sensitive people who struggle with the negative energy of others and their environments. Become an Online Studio Member and refine your natural intuition for a divinely inspired life.