Overcoming fear

‘The most beautiful things in life cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart’ – a quote from The Little Prince, a novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 

Life makes us experience different emotions. Memorable moments are accompanied by strong feelings. How did you feel when you made a decision to start university? How did you feel when you received your acceptance letter to university? 

Happiness. Joy. Excitement. Fear of the unknown. 

Uncertainty can come with negative emotions. Worrying is our normal reaction to the unknown. Fear can either make us act or make us avoid a situation. Is your fear motivating you to action? 

Fear is closely linked to anxiety. Ask yourself simple questions: What am I worrying about? When did I start worrying about it?  Is there any relationship between my mood and worries? We tend to experience negative emotions more when our mood is lower. 

Be flexible, make connections and associations to understand yourself and your fear better. If you ordered a Pina Colada on a date that did not go well, are you likely to order the same on your next date? What will you associate Pina Coladas with? 

Try an exercise. Keep a record of your worries for a few days and then think about how many of them actually happened. The aim of this is to show that most of our worries never actually happen. This is because most of our worries are irrational. When we are scared, we act under the influence of our emotions. We are giving in to our negative emotions. We tend to overthink and predict the future in a negative way. 

Imagine yourself being where you want to be in a few year’s time. How will you feel? Where will you be? How will you get there? Is it difficult to answer these questions? 

In psychology, imagination is a powerful tool, and one of the cognitive processes happening in our brains. When we imagine what we want, we become closer to taking the right path to have it. Imagination allows us to get to know ourselves better. It allows us to tune in with our feelings. It makes us act and it motivates us. 

Being a student, we are faced with many challenges and choices. We learn through our experiences. Difficult experiences prepare us for the future. They make us stronger. Always look at the bright side of life. 

Be nice to yourself. Always give yourself credit. You are doing your course because you worked hard for it. We all have ups and downs. 

The opposite of fear is calmness and confidence. If you are struggling in a social situation, just make yourself smile. Think what would Mr. Bean do if he was me? 

Please note: This content was created prior to Coronavirus, and some things might be different due to current laws and restrictions. Please refer to Government advice and the University of Lincoln for the latest information.