This time at the Leadership Forum, we focused on fears. Throughout their lives, people are confronted with a wide range of fears. Every day you can feel afraid of something. Fear is part of being human and you have to learn to live with it.

What is fear anyway?

Fear is an unpleasant and often strong emotion caused by the anticipation or awareness of danger. Fear is an emotional reaction to something that is dangerous.

Fear is usually triggered when you are put in an unpleasant situation that makes you feel unsafe and insecure.

Very common fear-inducing themes are:

• • heights or flying
  • social interaction or exclusion
  • different kinds of creatures
  • death
  • mental imbalance or illness 
  • darkness
  • public speaking
  • fear of water (if unable to swim)

Where do fears come from?

In the case of acute or intense fear, we might be dealing with a phobia. These can be the result of enduring a traumatic event, but can also be due to personal traits, genetics, etc. Feeling fear or phobia is not a sign of emotional weakness or immaturity. It is a natural response of the body that helps the person to survive. 

Fear is in fact a very important emotion that helps us to cope with dangerous situations. For example, if a person can’t swim and is afraid of going into deep water, this emotion will help them to survive. It helps you make wise decisions.

What are the physiological changes in the body when feeling fear?

When we feel fear, the brain reacts very quickly to this emotion. The stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released. This, in turn, causes physical changes: accelerated heart rate and breathing, increased blood pressure, and more. The body directs more blood to the muscles to be ready for physical activity. The skin may become moist to keep body temperature lower. Your abdomen, head, chest, legs may feel different than usual. 

This bodily reaction is known as the “fight or flight” response. The body prepares itself for a situation in which it needs to fight the fear-inducing element, or else move away from the situation as quickly as possible. The reaction is very fast and essentially uncontrollable – the fear response occurs in the brain faster than the onset of thinking.

How do fears affect our lives?

When it comes to everyday situations, feeling fear actually has a positive effect. It helps to save the person from danger. 

Chronic fear or lasting anxiety can have serious consequences for health – both mental and physical.

Psychological changes:

• Memory impairment: as the brain is constantly busy processing fear, it can damage different parts of the brain and this in turn causes memory problems. 
• Mental health: living in constant fear can lead to depressive episodes, inability to control one’s emotions, post-traumatic stress symptoms, phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. 
• Anxiety – also something we may experience on a daily basis. The problem arises when we are constantly anxious but can’t put our finger on a specific cause. If we cannot identify the cause of anxiety, we cannot remove ourselves or the threat from the situation. When anxiety becomes repetitive, persistent, intense and impairs quality of life, it can develop into a disorder. It has to be dealt with because it will not go away by itself!

Changes in physical health:

Living in constant fear can also cause serious problems with physical health. The most common are: weakened immune system, eating disorders, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular diseases, etc.

How to get rid of fears?

Although fears are part of our daily lives and, in some circumstances, an important part, it is good to get rid of irrational fears. 

Fears that arise in normal circumstances inhibit personal development and progress and hold back our true potential. For example, the fear of giving up a job and starting a business, of going public with your ideas, of trying new things, and so on. There are countless examples of what gets held back by fear.

To overcome fear, the key is to be aware of it!

How can we get rid of specific fear triggers?

• The best way to get rid of fears is to confront the source of the fear – in other words, through contact therapy. A person confronts their fear in a controlled and safe environment. The exposure needs to be delivered in slowly increasing doses over time. 
• Ask yourself: “What is the worst that can happen?” Play out the worst situations in your head and find solutions. But don’t fall into overthinking!

• The best way to get rid of fears is to confront the source of the fear – in other words, through contact therapy. A person confronts their fear in a controlled and safe environment. The exposure needs to be delivered in slowly increasing doses over time. 
• Ask yourself: “What is the worst that can happen?” Play out the worst situations in your head and find solutions. But don’t fall into overthinking!

Getting rid of inhibiting fears (trying something new, changing behavior, etc.):

• Discuss the issue with those closest to you 
• Find out how to cope better with the themes, or what tips can be used
• Write down the problems or emotions that hold you back and identify the ones you can deal with by yourself. Remember – what’s out of your control is out of your control! Solve those identified problems until a final resolution emerges. 
• Listen to the experiences of others
• Calm your mind by creating contingency plans. For example, when starting a business, it’s good to think that paid work isn’t going anywhere. 
• Trust yourself and believe in yourself!

How to get rid of anxiety?

If it’s anxiety that is affecting your quality of life, seek professional help! Living with anxiety is very difficult and can lead to dark places. In many cases, anxiety has its origins in childhood and carries on through behavioral patterns. However, with the help of therapy, it is possible to successfully overcome all of this!

Let’s live without fear, because fears can be overcome!

The Leadership Forum was hosted by Robert Käsper