(*This post is educational only and is not meant to provide psychological treatment or advice.  If you have a diagnosed mental health issue, or believe you do, you will need to seek out the direct assistance of a licensed mental health professional in your area.  While the educational information below may be helpful, it does not replace or negate the advice of a licensed professional.)

In the last post, I talked about a strategy to work through your beliefs about fear.  (If you haven’t read it yet, go back and review it before finishing this post!). But it got me to thinking about when I used to compete in dance competitions as a kid. I remember standing backstage, in the wings staring at the girl before me completing her routine – knowing that I was next.  I literally had to will myself not to throw up or pee my pants. 

Once I got going I was always ok, but those last few seconds before I had to force me feet to move were SO painful and awful.  If I didn’t experience such joy once I got into my routine, I probably would have quit performing all together. 

I knew getting out there wasn’t dangerous.  I knew I could cope if I failed.  I’ve fallen, forgotten my routine, and done a host of other embarrassing things on stage… and every time… I survived.  So I knew it was ok.  But I still felt so bad that there were a few times I almost didn’t make it on stage.

So what does it feel like to be afraid and what can we do about the physical sensations of fear?

Continue reading “Using the 3-step FIRE Method to Face your Fears” →