Understanding Fear to Work with Anxiety

If you’ve ever experienced fear, you know it can get in the way of truly experiencing and enjoying life. That fear can come from worrying about failure, the unknown, or facing truths about ourselves. Fear can also prevent us from getting the help we need for issues like anxiety.

Luckily, we have good news: Fear is simply a feeling.

Fear is only a feeling

Yes, fear can feel overwhelming and all-encompassing. But there’s a simple and effective way to defuse the power of fear. It starts with simply noting the presence of fear in our minds.

Try getting curious about your experience. When you notice fear, say to yourself: “Oh, there’s fear here. Hello, fear. How am I relating to fear right now?” 

How we think and how we feel can cause unhelpful behaviors such as worry and anxiety. But when we notice these states in our mind, we can step out of anxious habit loops and enjoy the world around us. We do this by paying attention to our experience in short mindful moments, again and again.

In the Unwinding Anxiety program, we learn that experiencing anxiety is a result of our behaviors. You are not anxiety. Anxiety is a habit. And if you experience anxiety, there is nothing wrong with you.

By separating the habit from the human, we can shed the fear, guilt, shame, and other negative emotions that often come with anxiety.

What’s the habit loop?

We can begin to step out of the habit of anxiety by recognizing the three key components that go into creating and sustaining a habit. These are trigger, behavior, and result.

Triggers for a habit can be anything. They may include having a busy day at work or making travel plans. We can’t always avoid triggers. Instead, the goal of Unwinding Anxiety is to help you deal with anxiety whenever it appears, without avoiding the triggers of everyday life.

Behaviors include ruminating or having worry thoughts. In Unwinding Anxiety, we look at the results of those behaviors, such as panic, feeling a knot in the stomach, or being unable to sleep. As we develop mindfulness around our experiences, we can start to notice that these behaviors bring about unpleasant results. 

Over time, we become disenchanted with unhelpful behaviors that result in anxiety. In other words, we can learn to let go of those unhelpful behaviors and adopt more helpful behaviors instead.

Anxiety is a habit we can overcome

Our habits may include worry, judgment, or resistance. Each time we notice that these habits result in anxiety, it becomes an opportunity to learn how our minds work—and to help ease anxiety when it appears.

The next time you find yourself worrying, try identifying what is most predominant in that moment. Notice the details of your experience: “Hmmm, what’s here right now? Sound? Smells? Thoughts? Feelings? Physical sensations?”

Anxiety will come and go, but with Unwinding Anxiety, you’ll be equipped to ride out whatever comes your way with open curiosity. Start a free trial of Unwinding Anxiety today.

Table of Contents

Related Articles

Free Trial

Try the first 7 days of Unwinding Anxiety to see how we can help you reduce anxiety and relieve stress.

10% Discount

If you’re ready to subscribe now, take 10% off a subscription plan of your choice. Available via the link below only!

Article By: