How to Dance With Fear
What does it take for you to face your fears head-on?
For years, Adam felt victimized by anxiety and fear, which held him back from living life to the fullest. But that all changed. What once felt debilitating now fuels his passion and drive – like rocket fuel.
In this episode, Adam lays out this simple yet powerful 3-step process of naming your fears, reframing them as opportunities, and gradually exposing yourself to small discomforts to expand your comfort zone. Adam discusses tools for breaking free from the debilitating effects of anxiety and learning to dance with your fears.
Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:
- The spectrum of fear from panic to passion
- Acknowledging the nuance between fear and excitement
- Understanding the fear response
- How to dance with your fears
Episode Highlights:
[02:26] The spectrum of fear from panic to passion
Fear exists on a broad spectrum – from the debilitating panic that dominates lives negatively through trauma and addiction – to being something that can empower when faced head-on.
[04:41] Acknowledge the nuance between fear and excitement
While excitement and fear may activate similar physiological responses, Adam believes the experience of each emotion can differ situationally. There is nuance beyond chemicals, as fear cannot be reframed as excitement during severe trauma or panic.
[06:30] Fear and anxiety exist for a reason
While fear and anxiety have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to signal threats and ensure survival, the problem is modern fears often stem from beliefs rather than imminent dangers.
[08:18] The Cyclical Relationship Between Fears, Beliefs and Anxiety
Adam views fears, limiting beliefs, and anxiety as overlapping areas in a Venn diagram that fuel each other.
[08:45] How to dance with your fears
Adam explains that to “dance with fear,” you must first understand its message. Like a waltz, this dance has three steps: name it, reframe it, and expose it.
[10:26] Name your fears
Get the fears out of your head and onto paper for you to acknowledge and validate your feelings. This takes away some of their power over you by bringing them into the light of day.
[13:14] Reframe fears as opportunities
Reframing fear involves finding opportunities within the fear and turning it into something more positive.
[17:09] Expose yourself to small discomforts to expand your comfort zone
Adam suggests that through gradual exposure to small discomforts, you can incrementally expand your comfort zone in a way that builds strength, like weightlifting with small weights before moving up.
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