Managing Fear & Anxiety

Fear and anxiety is in the oldest part of our brain and is a response to some dangerous situation that is about to happen or something anticipated in the future.

Fear triggers the Fight, Flight, Freeze response and prepares us for what we might need to do. When we were on the Savanna we probably needed to run fast (or at least faster than our colleague!) or to freeze. There are various physiological preparations for the the energy we need to respond including Cortisol being pumped round the body.

Get to know the archeology of your own patterns with fear by spending some time reflecting on these questions:

Questions

1. what is the trigger for this feeling?

2. what does it feel like physically, where is it held in the body?

3. what is your behaviour with this feeling?

4. when is it safe to feel this emotion?

5. when is it not safe to feel this emotion?

6. earliest memory of this emotion?

7. what is it like for you when others are showing this emotion?

8. how comfortable or uncomfortable is it?

Reflect on how you can ease the behaviours, thoughts and feelings around anxiety - what strategies do you have? Remember a time when you managed it well.

Take yourself away from the situation if you can.

Visualise your safe and comfortable space and focus on your breathing.

Ask the ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ question.