Quick Tip on Managing Fear

Do you ever have fearful thoughts? Do you try to push those thoughts away because you want to avoid feelings and tension those thoughts produce. In trying to resist the thoughts you are actually getting the opposite effect. If I told you don’t think about pink elephants with pink polka dot tutu’s, it would be difficult not the think about the image.
The fear persists when resist and pull away from the thoughts and what happens is you engage in a mental tug of war. It is the mental struggle that fuels the fear. You are in resistance when you tell yourself “I don't want to think about this" "I don't like that thought- I want it to go away”, in saying that you actually reinforce the fear that causes the tension and stress
This may seem counter intuitive, however if you allow the thought and just notice it without attaching anything to it as if you were observing a cloud passing overhead, you simply watch it as it passes by. No judgment, no resistance, just observe. As the observer of the thought, you might say “there is that thought and ask what label have I given to that thought. Now imagine you could peel the label off the thought and re-label it energy and allow the energy disperse into the cloud and watch it float by you. Then the thought comes again, and once again you do exactly the same. Just notice it, watch it and then go about your activity. See it for what it is, one of the hundreds of fleeting sane and insane thoughts every one of us experiences daily.

You can become the master of your thoughts and turn this situation to your advantage. When things are going well and you are not worrying about anything in particular, actually invite one of your more regular fearful thoughts in! Call the fear to you -say you just want it to come close to observe- again sit back and examine it and allow it to just float away on the cloud. By taking control you become the master of your mind instead of the slave of your fear. You are taking charge and calling the shots this time by actually inviting the issue in you immediately reduces the impact of the fearful thought.
Once you begin to practice just being the observer, it will become easier over time.