FINDING THE ANSWERS IN MANAGING YOUR FEARS AND ANXIETIES

By Stan Popovich

Looking for all of the answers in how to manage your most
persistent fears and anxieties? I deal with fear on a personal
level and I found it difficult to find all of the answers in
managing my anxieties.

Let me explain the process of how I found those answers.

I first went to my local bookstore to find those books that dealt
with fear and anxiety. I looked for those books that reviewed the
techniques in how to manage certain fears and anxieties. As I
read these books, I started a notebook and every time I found a
technique that was useful in managing my fears, I would write it
down in my small notebook.

Secondly, I interviewed various professionals in the psychology
and religious fields and they provided me with additional
information. Some of the techniques that they talked about was
learning how to use positive self talk, using thought stopping
techniques, and gathering the facts of a fearful situation.

For instance, a person should visualize a red stop sign in their
mind when they encounter a fear provoking thought. The stop sign
is a reminder to stop focusing on that thought and to think of
something else. This technique is good in dealing with obsessive
and scary thoughts.

Sometimes a person might encounter a scary situation that gets
them all upset. When encountering these events, always remember
to get all of the facts of the given situation. Gathering the
facts can prevent us from relying on exaggerated and fearful
assumptions.

I made it a point that every time I would experience a fearful or
anxiety related situation, I would use the information in my
notebook to help me. In every anxiety related situation I
experienced, I began to learn what worked, what didn"t work, and
what I needed to improve on in managing my fears and anxieties. I
did this for fifteen years and gained a lot of valuable
information.

The main point of this article is that no matter how difficult it
is to manage your fear and anxieties, the answers are out there
if you look hard enough. It might take some hard work and
persistence, but it is possible to find those techniques that
work for you.