Ask yourself these 3 questions created by an expert to overcome your fears

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Ask yourself these 3 questions created by an expert to overcome your fears

Doubt and fear are natural human emotions. Often associated with taking risks, the unknown and stepping out of your comfort zone, they can sometimes seem overwhelming. Mindfulness can help you tame your fears and make more informed decisions.

Research shows that adults are generally more risk averse than children and adolescents. This manifests itself in various aspects of daily life, whether meeting new people, going on a date, trying a new dish, traveling alone, or considering a new career. The fear of taking the plunge can be paralyzing.

Where does the fear of taking risks come from?

Scientists have identified a pattern of neurocognitive development of risk aversion that occurs throughout life. While children and adolescents are more willing to take risks, adults often appear more hesitant. This change may be linked to changes in decision-making brain circuits.

However, it is possible to manually bypass these circuits and explore new opportunities despite fear. Mindfulness is a powerful tool to calm it down by connecting to the present moment.

Overcome your fears by asking yourself 3 questions

To overcome fear and make more informed decisions, Donald Altmanauthor of the book Simply Mindful Resilience: 101 Mindful Ways to Build Resilienceproposes a three-step approach. First, start with a few deep breaths to bring yourself into the present moment. Next, write down what you would like to do using the phrase “I would like to…”. Ask yourself these three crucial questions:

  • What’s the worst thing that could happen if I tried this?
  • What’s the best thing that could happen if I tried this?
  • What is the most realistic thing that would happen if I tried this?

These questions help you deconstruct your fears, examine them from different perspectives, and create new pathways into your daily routine. Then, visualize yourself doing this new activity successfully and enjoying every moment. To put these thoughts into action, set aside at least an hour a day to take on this new activity.