Overcoming your Fear of the Unknown (1)

Although the majority of fitness advice focusses on physical fitness, mental fitness is another aspect which can be explored.

There are a number of fears which can dominate our lives. Often these fears are based on absolutely nothing but stop us progressing with our lives. By overcoming these fears of the unknown we remove a huge mental obstacle which often allows us to go on and develop fully as a person, building a better life in the process.

As an example, there have probably been times when you feel trapped by the circumstances in your life. Maybe you are unhappy with your job but feel there is nothing you can do about it. You accept this as “the way it is meant to be” and continue to live in your “comfort zone” but internally you struggle with your emotions and this affects your quality of life. In reality, you can take action, get a better job and improve your quality of life but it is easier to stick with the current job and remain in the “comfort zone”.

To quote Eleanor Roosevelt:
“You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do.”

Many of us are paralysed by the fear of the unknown. We believe that the current situation will be less painful than the unknown environment that lies ahead. However, have you ever stopped to think that the unknown might be a better place and make you a happier person?

So how do we go about overcoming these fears? First, we need to be aware that a fear of the unknown exists. Then we need to reflect on why we have this fear of the unknown by thinking about what makes us uncomfortable when facing the fear. For example, if you are in an abusive relationship you may feel this is better than no relationship at all. In this situation your fear of the unknown is a fear of having no relationship. The abusive relationship makes you uncomfortable when facing the prospect of escaping this relationship and having no relationship (at least for the immediate future). However, if you take the plunge and escape the relationship you will most likely find that you are much happier and will have the opportunity to enter into a much more meaningful relationship.

Once we start to look at our fears of the unknown in an objective way it is much easier to overcome them. By doing this we can become mentally liberated from our prison of insecurities, find true happiness and begin to see the opportunities which lie ahead. If you are still struggling just think what is the worst thing that could happen? Is it really that bad? Is the current situation not worse?

When you have the courage to face your fears and take action, you will feel mentally refreshed. The most difficult part of the whole process is accepting that you have a fear. Overcoming something that you find truly terrifying is one of the biggest forms of mental liberation. It will help you build confidence and strength in yourself and have significant positive impacts on your life.