How to Recognize Fear

It may be reassuring to know that fear created can be fear released! Remember we’re talking about imaginary fear that was created at an earlier time, but that has no place in our life today. Certainly if we can release fear that is legitimate—meaning there is a clear and present danger—as we did following the events of 9/11 and Columbine, we should be able to release fear that is imaginary. All that’s needed is to pay attention to the fear (recognize it), and then be persistent in releasing it. It’s not as though once released, that will be the end of it (although it could be). For most of us, we need to release fear as often as we feel it. If you’d like to try releasing fear, here’s what to do:
 

• Pay attention to your thoughts. We can release fear as soon as we recognize that fear is a part of our thinking. Too often, though, our thoughts run away with us before we realize what’s happened, and we find ourselves doing things or saying things we’d rather not. If you are having trouble tuning into your thoughts, you can • Pay attention to your feelings and emotions. They provide important clues: If you are feeling angry, hateful, or jealous, you have fear in your thoughts. You might have a right to be angry, but if you are feeling intense anger, there is fear present. Other indicators of fear are persistent feelings of anxiety, guilt, depression and sadness (long after the precipitating cause), loneliness, and vulnerability. Likewise, if you are always feeling like a victim, you have internalized fear. If you have trouble identifying your feelings, then you can • Pay attention to your behaviors. How we act offers us additional clues about whether we have fear. For example, consider the following indicators: - We seem unable to stop behaviors that are clearly self-defeating. - We often say or do things that we later regret. - We know we are hurting someone else by our behavior; yet we continue. - We know certain foods cause us to feel bad or gain weight; yet we continually eat them anyway. - Our health, circumstances, or other issues leave us frequently struggling and unhappy.

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