You feel sick to your stomach, and you’re nursing a headache. All because of one thing: fear. Fear is powerful enough to affect you physically. You have tangible symptoms, but the cause is intangible. Have you ever lain in bed at night, shaking uncontrollably because of what-ifs? Have you had to throw away the food on your plate because you just couldn’t stomach another bite? I’ll admit it. I’ve been through it all. And one thing I learned in the process is that the mind is extremely powerful. If my mind can make me feel ill, could it also make me feel healthy, safe and abundant? I’ve found that yes, it can. We just need to conquer fear first.

Here are five things you can do to conquer fear.

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1. Analyze your thoughts

Why are you so afraid? Why are you worried? Pick those thoughts apart and try to pinpoint the root of the problem. When you have a better understanding of the problem, change can happen, and you can conquer fear. What worries you about your future? Do you distrust your skills? Do you think you’re gifted but cursed? Those are fear roots that can be worked on. If you don’t trust your skills, perhaps you could invest in classes. If you don’t feel smart enough, you could read more and work on your craft. I’m not saying that you’re actually not smart, but do things that would make you feel more comfortable and confident. Now, how about the curse? Realize that you are a creator. Whether you identify as monotheistic, new age, agnostic or simply spiritual, we can all agree that we humans have agency over our life. We have free will. We can make choices that can increase our happiness. We are not destined for failure. We are not destined for failure. I figured I’d say it twice.

2. Change your focus

You’re experiencing the physical effects of fear and stress, because you’re meditating on thoughts that inspire such feelings. You have to focus on something else, and I know that it’s a hard thing to do. When I was going through a stressful period, I noticed that when I was playing with my niece, I didn’t feel a lick of worry. What brings you joy? Whatever it is, do that. You could also write down thoughts that make you happy and say them aloud. Put on a great TV show. For me, watching The Walking Dead when I’m in a funk makes me even sadder. HBO’s Insecure was more my jam. Changing your focus can help conquer fear. Create a playlist of songs that have a calming effect. When you start feeling overwhelmed, press play.

3. Choose faith

Faith and fear have something in common: They’re based on things we cannot see. Choosing faith to conquer fear sounds easier said than done. But, it can be done. Every time your mind wanders into the worst-case scenario, think of the best-case scenario instinctively. Picture that best-case scenario in great detail. Picture how you’ll feel when that situation occurs. Feel those feelings. Practice doing so, and it’ll become more natural at some point. Talk to yourself. It may seem strange, but say this: “Negative thoughts you have no power over me. I’m binding you and tossing you out.” Raise your voice if you have to. You mean business.

4. Connect with your source

Everyone has a belief system. Do you believe in God? Your friends and family? Yourself? Where does your strength come from? That is something to determine so you can always draw from that well. Spend time with that which gives you strength daily. Imagine going days without charging your phone. Yep, that would mean no Instagram. And more seriously, it would mean that your phone would die. You wouldn’t be able to use your GPS to figure out where you need to go. You wouldn’t have the energy to talk to people who bring you joy. If you believe in God, spend time with your maker every day. If you draw strength from friends and family, spend time with them. Perhaps you don’t have time for everyday in-person visits. You could send a text message or make a call instead. You also need to spend time with yourself. Get to know yourself better and practice self-care.

5. Talk about it

The other day, I messaged an Instagram friend and told her I was going through a rough time. She messaged me back and lifted my spirits. Peace of mind is so valuable and you don’t get extra merit points for trying to achieve it on your own. Reach out and talk to someone. Out of the seven billion humans on this planet, surely there’s someone out there who would be able to relate to you. I didn’t even have to go into detail. I just said I was having a rough time, and she filled me with such positivity. Give it a try. You have nothing to lose but fear. As I’m writing these words, someone just reached out to me on Instagram that she needed help conquering fear. We had never actually spoken before today. Help is always around the corner.

I care so deeply about your well-being. I do hope sharing these five tips that helped me during my hard time will help you, too. Let’s conquer fear … together.
What do you do when you’re afraid? Comment below!