Fear is a useful emotion that warns us of dangers. However, this only happens if fear is based on a real threat. To understand the situation, whether it is really scary, or is it our imagination, a consequence of past injuries and experience, will help rational thinking.
Instruction manual
one
The first thing to do in a frightening situation is to recognize that it is you who are experiencing fear. Sometimes fear hides inside and disguises itself as defensive aggression or disgust. Signals from the body will help you to understand that you are afraid: the body gets colder and freezes, breathing becomes superficial, the heart pounds, palms sweat, and migraine can occur.
2
If you became convinced that you were really scared by bodily signals, you need to regain your sense of security immediately without leaving the situation. It is necessary to establish comfort. Wrap yourself in clothes or hug yourself with your arms to keep you warm. Find a stable position for the body: lean on something with your back, sit down, if possible, feel the ground under your feet. Having a sense of security, try to relax.
3
Relaxation is necessary in order to begin to analyze whether your fear has a basis in a particular situation. Soberly assess what real threats to your life, health, integrity are here and now. List them. If possible, write down. Focus exclusively on the current moment, do not think about the future. Analyze exactly the situation in which you find yourself and have experienced fear.
4
If the analysis showed that nothing really threatens you, then take care again to more clearly feel stability, warmth and comfort. The sense of security will gradually return itself, fear will release.
5
If the analysis showed that there is a danger, it is necessary to think over and apply strategies for protecting against threats on the spot. You can get out of the situation, prepare for an attack, assess the possibility of assistance from outside and so on.
note
Fear arises from a lack of information. If you cannot objectively assess the level of real threat, then you need to get additional information about the circumstances in which you find yourself.
Useful advice
Fear can only be overcome in action. If you are afraid, you need to plan and take specific steps to correct the frightening situation or to get out of it.