Fear. I know it well. As a solopreneur, I frequently face fear when I think about what I can do to grow my business. Fear can easily stop me from taking productive action — if I let it.
Whatever type of work you do, whether it’s for your job, your business, your home, your family, or your creative life, fear can have the power to stop you in your tracks. It might stop you from starting a creative project, or exploring a new opportunity. It might hold you back from promoting yourself and your business. It might keep you stuck and unable to move forward.
Whichever way fear gets in your way, it’s important to take steps to manage your fear, before it has the chance to stop you.
Here are 4 Steps to Stop Fear in Its Tracks, before it stops you.
Step 1 Recognize when you’re in fear, or hiding from fear. Recognize what fear does to your body and mind. Recognize how it tries to influence your actions. Once you’ve recognized your fear, get as clear as you can about the target of your fear, in other words, what are you really afraid of?
(BTW– Fear loves to hide, read more about its 3 favorite hiding places. )
Step 2 Embrace your fear. The majority of fear comes from past experiences. One of my clients is a talented singer, but was fearful of singing in public. This was a result of a childhood experience when someone made fun of her. By embracing the younger, very disappointed place within her, she was able to release her fear. She now performs regularly on a variety of stages.
So next time you’re feeling fearful about doing something bigger and bolder, embrace yourself with compassion. Allow yourself to sense the younger part of yourself that may have felt afraid or hurt in a similar situation. You may notice that a mix of emotions come up.
Step 3 Release the Fear. EFT Tapping is a quick, effective way to release fear. Anything that helps to lower cortisol, such as deep breathing, yoga, and meditation will also help. Below, at the bottom of this post, you’ll find a brief tapping EFT audio to help you release fear.
Step 4 Activate Your Courage. The final step in the 4-step process is to activate your courage. Once you’ve used a technique such as EFT to release your fear, you’ll feel more relaxed. This is the best time to take action. Taking action will help you develop your courage.
Right now, decide on 2-3 small action steps you will take in the next week to help you move forward. Get your momentum going, and your courage will grow.
Below is the Tapping for Fear audio. This audio includes a brief EFT tapping round to help you release fear around a creative or business-related project. If you’re new to EFT Tapping, click here for illustrated instructions.