Last Updated on September 14, 2023 by Christin
Many people experience fear in different ways, whether it be a specific phobia, sudden burst of fear, or general anxiety. For some, feeling scared can be debilitating and interfere with their everyday lives. While there are medications available to help lessen the effects of some causes of fear, there are also other methods that can be used to help reduce feelings of fear in the first place. Affirmations are one of those methods.
12 Affirmations To Use When You Feel Scared
1. I Acknowledge What Might Be Causing The Fear
Understand what is causing your fear. If you can identify the root of your fear, it may help you to feel less scared. Once you know what is triggering your fear, you can begin to work on facing it and overcoming it.
For instance, if you wake up scared of losing everything, you may find the root of your fear is a past experience where you lost things you cared about. When you identify that experience, you can work through it with techniques such as Neuro-Linguistic Programmingย so it doesn’t affect your current life.
It can be difficult to identify the source of your fear when you’re in the midst of feeling scared. However, there are some things you can do to try and figure it out.
First, ask yourself what you care about. What are you afraid of losing? Whether it’s a person, a possession, or simply your sense of safety, understanding what you care about can help you to identify the source of your fear. For instance, fear of losing a loved one.
Second, try to remember the last time you felt this way. What were the circumstances? Was there something specific that triggered your fear? If you can identify a pattern when your fear occurs, it may be possible to avoid future situations that could cause you to feel afraid.
Finally, don’t be afraid to talk to someone you trust about your fears. Sometimes it can be helpful to simply share your feelings with another person. They may be able to offer guidance or support that can help you to overcome your fear.
2. I Talk About My Fears To Someone Who Understands
Talk to someone who understands. Sometimes just talking to someone who has been through a similar experience or who knows where you are coming from can help reduce your fear. Knowing that you’re not alone in how you’re feeling can be very comforting. And getting it out can be very comforting.
3. I Distract Myself When I Feel Scared
When you feel the fear beginning to take over, try to distract yourself with something else. Listen to music, read a book, go for a walk, or watch a movie. Doing something to take your mind off of your fear can help break any thought or feeling patters that intensify the fear and lessen its effects.
4. I Breathe Slowly And Deeply When I Feel Scared
One of the most common ways to ease fear is by taking slow, deep breaths. This helps to relax your body and mind and can also lower your heart rate.
5. I Focus On Doing Relaxation Techniques When I Feel Scared
There are various relaxation techniques that can be used to help reduce feelings of fear. Try progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, or meditation.
Again, let’s go back to breathing. One of the simplest and most effective relaxation techniques is diaphragmatic breathing. This involves taking deep, slow breaths from your diaphragm rather than from your chest. This type of breathing has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety, and it can be done anywhere and at any time.
So next time you’re feeling scared, try taking a few minutes to focus on your breath and see if it doesn’t help you relax and care for what’s important to you.
6. When I’m Scared, I Get Moving
Exercise is a great way to release tension and stress, which can help reduce fear. Go for a walk, run, or bike ride. Taking some time to get your body moving can help clear your mind and make you feel better.
7. I Connect With Nature When I’m Scared
There is nothing more grounding than nature. Spend time outside in nature and allow yourself to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Being in nature can help you feel calmer and more relaxed, which may help to lessen your fear.
8. I’m Mindful Of My Thoughts
Be mindful of your thoughts. Pay attention to the thoughts that are running through your head and try to focus on positive ones. This can be difficult to do when you’re feeling scared, but it’s important to focus on the good.
Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean it’s true or real. A lot of the time, our thoughts are just thoughts – they aren’t actually representative of what’s going on in reality. This is especially true for scary thoughts.
Just because you have a thought that makes you scared doesn’t mean that what you’re thinking about is actually real or going to happen.
More often than not, these thoughts are just passing through your mind for one reason or another. They don’t actually have any power over you unless you give them power by dwelling on them or believed that they are true.
So the next time you have a scary thought, remind yourself that it’s just a thought and it isn’t real. This will help diffuse the power that the thought has over you and help you to move on.
9. I Make Time For Fun
It’s important to make time for activities that you enjoy and make you feel good. Doing things that make you happy can help reduce fear and improve your overall mood.
Some things you can do for fun include going to the movies, reading a book, taking your dog for a walk, or exploring a new place.
Whatever it is that you choose to do, make sure it’s something that puts a smile on your face and helps you relax. Life is too short not to take some time out now and then for yourself!
10. I Focus On The Present Moment
When I’m feeling overwhelmed by my thoughts to the point I’m feeling fear, I remind myself to live in this moment. This helps me to curb anxious thinking and be more mindful of what’s going on in the present.
By focusing on the here and now, I can appreciate all that life has to offer without worrying about things that have yet to come or happened in the past. When I’m grounded in the present, I can make decisions that will serve me best.
11. I Try To See The Good In Every Situation
It’s easy to become bogged down by negativity when a difficult situation arises. But instead of getting stuck on all the bad, try to find the silver lining among all the grey clouds and look for ways in which you can grow and learn from the experience.
Whether it’s a challenging job, an argument with a loved one or some other kind of setback, try to find something positive to take away from it.
This helps you maintain a more optimistic outlook on life while also allowing you to live in the present moment and move forward with confidence.
12. I Practice Self-Compassion When I Feel Fear
There’s so much pressure to be perfect and oftentimes we put a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves. This can often cause fearful thoughts focused on the possibility of imperfection.
But it’s important to remember that no one is perfect, and it’s OK to make mistakes. Instead of beating yourself up when you don’t perform perfectly, practice self-compassion by being kind and gentle with yourself. We all have flaws and make mistakes โ it’s part of being human.
By focusing on accepting our imperfections, we can build self-confidence and enjoy a healthier emotional well-being. This also helps us to create healthy relationships with others as well as ourselves.
