A Trick to Overcome Fear

Fear can be paralyzing can't it?

Your eyes widen, you want to move, you know what you're supposed to do, but you're just stuck. 
Have you ever felt that way? 

I know I have. And you can imagine (or maybe you know) what happens next.

Today, I said I'd offer a trick to overcoming fear.  So here we go: the more you are in 'fearful' situations, the more you are challenged outside of your comfort zone, the more your comfort zone actually expands to fit in these new experiences.

In other words, the more you put yourself in situations that make you feel scared on purpose, the easier it becomes and the more successful you are the next time you are in an uncomfortable or scary position (or at the very least, the more courageous you feel).

Why is that? Because your brain groups similar situations together (in this case overcoming fearful situations) and starts imprinting a ‘been there done that’ sequence.  So, it doesn’t even need to be an overcoming in your sport, you can challenge yourself in other areas and the confidence will transfer.
I totally expanded my comfort zone when I was in Costa Rica a few weeks ago.

I am terrified of ledges - not heights, just ledges (when I’m not strapped in) - and even with this fear, I took on ziplining.  Once I was strapped in it was ok, it was the standing on top of a platform, on top of the cloud forest, with the winds whipping, and the ledge so close to my feet that got me scared.
But I did it - yay!  And so my comfort zone expanded.

You can actually see my expansion from fearful to fearless if you click on the video above.

The first part I’m palpably terrified, the end, it’s like I’ve done this my whole life.  You can actually see me overcome my fear, and then I can use this as a metaphor for other challenging things I come up against.

I first learned this while working with Olympic Gold Medal beach volleyball player, and superstar coach, Kerri Pottharst in Manley Beach Australia.  As part of our off-sand training, Kerri had us over to her house one day to walk on glass - seriously, we walked on glass.  It was so confronting.  My whole life I had been taught to look out for sharp glass when I’m barefoot; now I was being asked to walk across 6 feet of glass chards.  Wow was I freaked out. 
But I trusted Kerri (and my partner at the time went first and didn’t get hurt).  So I let out a little yelp and started walking.  It was scary, but I did it and I felt so powerful after, like if I could walk on glass, I could do anything. 

Just like when you train a muscle in the gym, it gets stronger, when you train your courage it expands as well.  So in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: “Do one thing everyday that scares you.”   Why not start today?

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