Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Smoke
I think this is key, for me anyway. I have this perecption that I need to be this outgoing person, out partying all the time, etc.
I'm happy with my introverted ways 99% of the time. But when I do go out, I don't want to be crippled by irrational fear.
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This is very important to remember.
I had a small bout with anxiety, and it helped me a great deal to examine the fear response itself.
Evolutionarily speaking, having a healthy fear of things and good fear response was pretty important in the event that you rolled out of the cave and heard a saber-toothed tiger nearby. That was rational fear.
And fear has stuck around. Today, for a lot of people, fear manifests itself in circumstances that have no rational basis.
Whenever I found myself getting anxious about strange things like talking over the phone, I found it very helpful to consciously acknowledge the fact the fear I was experiencing was irrational.
After a short time I was able to begin to harness the vagal fear response and sort of just turn it into mild excitement instead.
Whenever the fear strikes you, you can do little things like straighten your back and widen your stance to trick your body into feeling more empowered.