There are many steps you can take to face your fears. For example, you may study the object or situation you fear in order to separate the realities of your fears from the irrational thoughts that contribute to your fright. You may also observe others in situations that frighten you. Sometimes facing your fears even means putting yourself in scary situations on purpose in order to neutralize your fears. Additionally, you may consider seeing a therapist to deal with fears that are interfering with your routine or decreasing your overall enjoyment of life.
Sometimes rational study of the thing or situation you fear may help you get past your fright and face your fears. For example, if you have a fear of driving over a bridge, you may do well to consider whether your fear is founded. You may study bridges, for instance, and discover the features that are built to keep people safe as they drive across them. You may also learn what the likelihood is of the bridge collapsing just at the time you are driving across it. With a foundation of knowledge in mind, you may feel less afraid.
In some cases, observing others may help you to face your fears. For example, you may have a fear of approaching the opposite sex and striking up a conversation. To help combat your fear, you may observe a friend doing so. By watching your friend successfully approach a person of the opposite sex and strike up a conversation, you may see that nothing terrible happens and feel more confident about trying it yourself. Even if your friend is rejected, you may still learn something from your observations; for instance, you may learn that this type of rejection isn’t difficult to handle.
One of the best ways to face your fears is to expose yourself to fearful situations, as long as they are not harmful. For example, if you have a fear of speaking up in a group, getting practice doing so may help you shed your fear. You may start out by speaking up in a small group of people you know and with whom you feel comfortable. Once you’ve gotten some practice in that respect, you may then move on to get practice speaking up in a small group of people you do not know, and eventually, you may work your way up to speaking in front of a large group of people. By consistently exposing yourself to the situation you fear, you may eventually grow more comfortable and realize there was nothing to fear in the first place.
Sometimes fears are minor and people may function well despite them. In some cases, however, they may interfere with necessary daily activities or even things a person would simply like to do. If you find that you cannot face your fears alone and they are interfering with things you need or want to do, you may seek the help of a therapist. A therapist may use a range of different treatment methods to help you to face your fears and move on with your life.
