How to Overcome Fears

Mahatma Gandhi thoughts on fear were as follows; The enemy is fear. We think it is hate; but it is fear.. It is fear which is the barrier between you and success. Every one fears for something, some have a fear of darkness, others have fears of heights, while some others have fear of failure, etc. However if you notice most of the fears are harmless and these fears are a creation of the human imagination. Have you ever heard of any animal having fear for dark, for heights? It is just the human brain which generated these thoughts. Many a time we read many books or articles on "how to overcome fear", but we do not implement it. I guess now is the time we separate sense from the senseless.

How to Overcome Fears of Different Kinds

Here are some of the tips, which will help in overcoming the common fears.

How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking
The best way of overcoming fear of public speaking is to speak even if you are nervous or hesitant, etc. As you start speaking you will realize that you are become adept with the art of public speaking with each speech you give. The other thing which you will notice is, that it is not as difficult a task as what it once seemed to be. At the same time if you fail, it's not the end of the world. Have you seen a baby who is learning to walk? The baby tries to stand up and with support takes the first step. In case it falls down while taking the step and if he hurts himself, he will cry for some time, but will again try to walk. You have to apply the same rule. Just a small trick while preparing for your speech. You should not try to cover all the facts possible. Just give about three to four most important facts. You have not taken it upon yourself to provide all the facts and last but not the least DO NOT FORGET YOU ARE NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER. Just follow a few public speaking techniques to help you gain confidence and give off a dashing speech.

How to Overcome Fear of Flying?
Some people got the fear of flying after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. However, I have a question to ask, have we stopped stepping out of the house after the other terrorist attacks in public places? Isn't the answer to this question a 'No'? If statistics are to be believed, more people die in car accidents than they die in plane crashes. Still, people fear flying. The fear of flying is called aviophobia.

Here is a small exercise that I want you to perform, which will help you to overcome fear of flying. On a paper write down why is it that you have a fear of flying, be sure that you write all the smallest details. Once all the details have been put on paper, look at each one of them objectively and you will notice that most of your fears are just not worth mentioning at all. Now you can undertake a short flight with your family and friends, I am sure you won't regret it.

How to Overcome Fear of Heights?
Fear of heights can make someone reject a lucrative job offer only for a reason that the office is located on the fifteenth floor of the building. However funny this may sound to you, it isn't all that funny to the people who are actually facing such a problem. Contrary to popular belief, phobias are in no way related to mental illness, each and every one of us suffer from some or the other phobia to a certain degree.

It is important to deal with the right approach. To overcome the fear of heights, you need to get to the topmost floor of a building, then you must remember to first take a couple of deep breaths. The deep breaths will ensure sufficient supply of oxygen to all your muscles and help in relieving you of the fear. Meditation is a tool which can also prove to be very beneficial,while you deal with the fear of heights. Both these techniques will help you calm down and you will be in a better position to continue with your task.

How to Overcome Fear of the Dark?
The fear of dark is termed as nyctophobia. Here are a few steps that you can undertake to overcome the fear of dark. The first step is to rationalize your fear. You will realize that your fear is illogical. The next step is to move around in your room initially with all the lights off. You can try and name the things as you move in your room. This will help in increasing your night vision and it will decrease your fear of the dark. You can read some inspirational books. These books will help you relax and sleep well. Going for a walk with your friend in the dark will help you enjoy the little sounds of nature in the form of cricket's mating calls, rustling of the leaves in the stillness of the night and also the sight of the moon that will increase the beauty and awe of the night.

Very often it has been observed that most of the fears are due to experiences in the past. Mental health is paramount to deal with the situation, hence you need to make a conscious effort to overcome your fears. I hope the "how to overcome fears" tips help you in your endeavor in overcoming your fears.