Saturday, February 23, 2013

Facing the Predator of Fear

Wildlife experts tell us what to do if we see a cougar 50 yards or more away. They tell us not to run, or turn our backs. They tell us running makes things worse because the cougar will see us behaving like prey, and give chase. Common suggestions include: standing up, facing the cougar, maintaining eye contact, making our bodies look bigger, and slowly moving to higher ground or a safer location. I believe this is also true when it comes to facing our internal fear responses to life situations. It helps to look at what scares us, give the feelings some attention, and take slow, thoughtful action so the feared element no longer intimidates us. I help people identify fears they are ready to examine, give attention and care to the arising feelings, and learn how to cope and respond when fear arises.