Fighting Fear and Finding Hope
As human beings, we are constantly thinking. We are so good at it that we can, within nanoseconds, transition our thoughts from the past to the future and back to the past again. This happens despite the fact that the body always lives in the present. This disconnect between the body and the mind is problematic because it limits our ability to manage our stress and maximize our well-being.
Making this mind-body connection isn’t easy even in the best of times. That’s because we have a running dialogue of chatter going on in our head that preoccupies our mind. Furthermore, our emotions drive the direction of this chatter, often in a negative direction which intensifies whatever we are feeling.
Today, one of the predominate emotions we are experiencing is fear. And rightfully so. There are a lot of reasons to be fearful. Fear thrives in uncertainty and in our imagination. Fear is the dread of something bad to come with limited possibilities to avoid a negative outcome. To make fear worse, it is often not based in reality. So much so, that some describe fear as false evidence appearing real.
From an evolutionary perspective, fear’s primary purpose was to motivate escape from danger by either fleeing or fighting (Hathaway, 2017). Yet, our fear often leads to anxiety and depression which has the effect of freezing us in place. It can also drain us of energy and can destroy motivation to take action. And without action there can be no change.
When you are experiencing fear, here are a few ideas that can help:
Managing Fear
Acknowledge your fears. Being able to specifically identify your fear(s) will lessen its hold on you. Some people find that writing down what they are afraid of is a great way to take a non-specific feeling of fear and turn it into something specific.
Analyze your fears. Take a look at the list of your fears and see what it is telling you. Is there a pattern? Can you identify triggers? Are these fears related to past failures?
Share your fears. Talking through your fears with others may help you see that you are not alone. Others may also have alternative ways for you to view what’s troubling you.
Silence the negative chatter. Most people find that when they are fearful of something they have a reoccurring negative message repeating in their head. When you notice that this is happening, take a few slow, centering breaths and refocus your attention in the present. When this negative chatter returns, say to yourself “not now” and release those thoughts.
Finding Hope
Another very effective way we can combat fear is by finding hope. First, let’s define hope. Many of us may think of hope as an emotion without a basis in reality or in action. The way we, at Levelhead, use hope is along the lines of a theory developed by Charles Snyder, one of the foremost positive psychology researchers. His definition of hope aligns to the perceived ability to move in a planned direction to arrive at a desired destination or goal. Clearly, this definition of hope is action-oriented and goal-focused. According to this theory, hope includes goals, direction or paths, and freedom of choice. Furthermore, this theory suggests that people need the following:
To be able to control their attention and have focused thoughts
To develop strategies and actions in advance to achieve goals
To be motivated to make the effort needed to reach their goals
To help you get started in finding hope, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
What is my current situation or what is going on?
Where do I want to go from here?
What do I perceive is in my way?
Which strengths can I draw on to achieve my goal?
What aspects of my current situation can I leverage to my advantage?
When was I successful in the past in similar situations? And how can that help me find a way forward?
Since Snyder’s initial work in the concept of hope, there has been considerable research that links high levels of hope to academic performance, athletic performance, work performance, physical health, and well-being (Hathaway, 2017; Huang et al., 2019; Kleist & Jansen, 2016).
If you are having trouble dealing with the challenges of the day, here are some things you might want to consider to jump start your journey toward finding hope.
What would it take for you to make this a “high hope” week?
What are some small steps that you can take today?
As you start to deal with fear, please be kind to yourself. Change is hard. Know that you are not alone in your feelings. We are all having trouble finding hope in these difficult times. But it is worth the effort to try to manage fear and find your unique path toward hope.
REFERENCES
Hathaway, M. D. (2017). Activating Hope in the Midst of Crisis: Emotions, Transformative Learning, and “The Work That Reconnects”. Journal of Transformative Education, 15(4), 296-314.
Huang, T. Y., Souitaris, V., & Barsade, S. G. (2019). Which matters more? Group fear versus hope in entrepreneurial escalation of commitment. Strategic Management Journal, 40(11), 1852-1881.
Kleist, N., & Jansen, S. (2016). Introduction: Hope over time—Crisis, immobility and future-making. History and Anthropology, 27(4), 373-392.