How to Overcome Fear: 8 Tips to Get Brave and Stay Positive

It is normal to have fears. You may experience it while riding a bike or during an adventurous activity. It is the body's reaction to physical and emotional dangers. However, when fear begins to overtake your life and interfere with your normal functioning, then it can become a major problem. When fear becomes overwhelming, the distress caused from it can interfere with the ability to function properly and you may experience intense anxiety and nervousness.Here are some tips which will help in overcoming fear -1. Build AwarenessIn order to overcome fear, it is important to first recognise your fear. Fear often manifests as phobias, which can include animals, water, heights, public speaking and so on. When you experience fear, physiological, mental and emotional reactions can occur like difficulty in breathing, racing heartbeats, sweating, feeling dizzy, needing to escape, feeling detached, etc.2. Face Your FearsEvery time you face your fear you gain strength, courage and confidence. Once you face a big fear, you realise that you were actually capable of surviving it and the fear seems petty and irrational. You will start to think that earlier what you described as fear wasn't really much to be afraid of.3. Take ActionsIt is rightly said, "Worry gives a small thing a big shadow". We cannot sit around on our couches and wait for courage and strength to knock at our doors. In fact, the more you think, the more fear builds within. We tend to build scary monsters in our head and imagine worst situations. It could be due to what we have learned from movies or television. But the fact is 80-90% of things we worry about never really come into reality. Instead things can take a positive turn when we actually take action.4. Reading HelpsReading also helps in overcoming fear as you may come across some positive facts and feel motivated to face it. Choose a book on your specific fear and open doors to come out of it.5. Watch Your DietThe food we eat has a dramatic effect on how we feel. All the sugars, additives, sweeteners, and other chemicals in our food can have a surprisingly powerful effect in getting the body out of balance. Stick to a clean diet that suits you, which includes more fruits and vegetables.6. Yoga to the RescueSometimes negative energy gets trapped in our body. Practicing yoga and breathing exercises can help release it. During this you might also release parts of your fear without even noticing it after few months of yoga.7. Stay PositiveWhen a fear strikes you, instead of thinking something bad will happen, divert your mind to a positive thought. For instance, if your fear lies in public speaking, imagine a situation where you are being applauded for the speech instead of imagining that you have failed horribly.8. Breathe and BreatheLast but not the least, breathing is indeed a saviour of many situations. In case of fear too it performs miracles. It is one of the simplest and powerful ways of overcoming fears. Take a long breath to the count of seven in your mind and then breathe out to the count of eleven. Practice this for a minute and you will be amazed at how you have managed to calm down in a fearful situation.Disclaimer:The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.