Fear and Problem Solving
Session Overview
Today’s session will cover:
What causes fear and what happens to our body
Identifying our own fears and what is holding us back
Accessing a range of tools to overcome fear
Taking action to move forward
What causes fear?
Some triggers may include:
The environment we have grown up in or are currently living in
Traumatic Events in our life
Stressful Situations
Financial Stress
Past bullying
Low Self-esteem
Feeling Disempowered
Feelings of not being good enough
Brainstorming Fears
Using a Mindmap – where Fear is in the middle and all the fears are branching off
Brainstorm as many types of fears that you can think of and see who can come up with the most number of fears in their group
Everyone to report back to the class on their list of fears
What you might feel in fear
Anxious or worried constantly
Overwhelmed
Indecisive
Frightened
Panicked
Unfocused
Like your brain has switched off
Angry and easily agitated
Restless or hyperative
What you might think in fear
Have constant thoughts that are more negative than usual
Often irrational thoughts or unhelpful thoughts
Have a sense of danger or doom
You may have obsessive thoughts
Intrusive thoughts
Self-doubt or Self-hatred thoughts
Thoughts about not being good enough
Physical symptoms of fear
Trembling
Dizziness
Weakness and fatigue
Shortness of breath
Excessive perspiration
Feeling cold or overheated
Numbness or tingling in hands
Difficulty speaking
Like your skin is crawling
Rapid Heartbeat or palpitations
Chest Pain
Digestive issues & excessive urination
Difficulty sleeping – both getting to sleep or waking in the middle of the night
Nauseous
Concentration problems
Twitching
What you might do in fear
Try to avoid situations even those that normally make you happy
Disconnect from friends and family
Find it difficult to go to work or school
Find it difficult to put yourself out there for work
Become paralysed in procrastination
Fight/Flight or Freeze
Long Term Effects of fear
Some fear is good for our body
Persistent fear however can lead to:
High levels of Anxiety
Long term effects on the body
Significant impacts on your lifestyle
Your ability to work, study or function on a daily basis
Your self-confidence and self-belief
Tools for your toolbox
Be persistent – do the thing that you fear over & over
Develop courage by taking small steps towards your goal
Try stepping out of your comfort zone
Develop faith & confidence
ACTION ACTION ACTION – Taking Action reduces the fear
Journaling
The process of journaling is writing down your thoughts and feelings to help you release them from your mind and raise your awareness about what is going on for you
Research Services
It’s important to know where you can gain support if your fear turns into anxiety and starts to impact your life
Services for Anxiety
Research local and online services for addressing anxiety
See who can identify the highest number of different service providers and what they do