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Fear has the power to hold you back and greatly impact your life. When you allow fear to control you, it becomes a barrier that prevents you from taking risks, pursuing your goals, or embracing new opportunities. It can limit your potential, affect your relationships, and prevent you from fully experiencing life.
By acknowledging and confronting your fears, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities and personal fulfillment.
In this week’s deep dive, I’ll show you how exposure therapy can help you overcome fear.
If you like this week’s deep dive, my full-length video and article go even deeper.
Exposure therapy helps people overcome their fears by gradually facing them in a safe and controlled way. By repeatedly exposing themselves to what they fear, they can teach their brain that the feared thing is not as scary or dangerous as it seems.
Yes. Exposure therapy is one of the most effective methods for managing fear.
The following example will explain how it works.
The odds of getting trapped in an elevator during any single trip are extremely rare at 1 in 1,000,000. However, some people refuse to use elevators because they believe they will be trapped inside.
This fear exists because their brain has developed an irrational association. That association says, “If I use an elevator, I will get trapped.”
Exposure therapy works by rewiring a new association in your brain. You can do this by continually showing your brain that what you think is threatening isn’t actually threatening. Here’s a series of steps you might take to overcome the fear of riding in an elevator.
When done correctly, this process will create a more rational association in your brain. That might be, “If I ride in an elevator, I might get stuck, but that is unlikely.”
This new association reduces the anxiety or fear you experience allowing you to face your fears.
Begin by identifying what you’re avoiding. For example, you might avoid sharing your opinion at work because you fear the judgment of others.
If you need help figuring out what you are avoiding, ask yourself the following question.
What do I wish I could do?
This question is helpful because fear keeps us from doing things we want to do. So if you want to ask someone on a date but haven’t, you likely fear rejection.
When facing your fears, start small, get comfortable, then increase the challenge until you achieve your desired behavior. For example, here’s how you might overcome your fear of sharing your opinion at work.
Check out my full-length video and article on exposure therapy.
When working on a project, it’s natural to encounter a problem that leaves you feeling stuck. For example, you may have a technical issue with your website or a creative block in your writing.
It’s easy to get tunnel vision and overlook simple solutions when this happens. Unfortunately, this problem can lead to wasted time.
One of the best ways to overcome this issue is to seek outside advice. Here’s why.
When you ask for advice, you expand your knowledge base. Additionally, you open yourself to a world of possibilities by inviting fresh insights and alternative viewpoints. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple suggestion or a different way of looking at the problem to spark a breakthrough.
If you’re wondering who you should ask, don’t overthink it. Ask a mentor, a colleague, or even an online community related to your field, and be sure to keep an open mind.
I’m in the process of following this advice myself. My YouTube channel has been growing, but I haven’t had the breakthrough I need to truly succeed on the platform.
People always tell me that my videos are excellent, but I haven’t had a video go viral. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out why.
So I reached out to a very successful creator and asked for advice. After looking at my channel, they said I had everything it takes to be successful on YouTube. Then they offered to give me an hour of their time so they could suggest a few minor changes.
I haven’t had the meeting yet, but I’m excited about where this might lead.
So with that said, where are you currently stuck? And more importantly, who can you ask for advice?
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that the information presented in this email is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The creator of this email is not a licensed financial advisor and any decisions made based on this information are at your own risk. It’s important to consult with a qualified financial professional before making any financial decisions, as this information does not consider individual investment goals, risk preferences, or financial situations. Please remember that past performance does not guarantee future results, and all investments involve risk, including the potential loss of your initial investment.
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