3 kinds of fear

It’s like the air has changed. It has become closer, more disturbing, almost impossible to escape. Some people say they are vibrating…picking up the fear vibes all around them. Maybe other people’s reaction is to numb out, in an attempt to avoid the fear and pretend it doesn’t exist.

So how do we handle this? 

I thought it might be helpful to explain the three kinds of fear, how to identify which you are feeling and how to respond. The word ‘respond’ is important here. We want to be able to respond to our fear and not react. 

The first kind is called Healthy Fear. This fear is in response to actual danger, normally from the outside and we experience it physically. It triggers our Fight, Flight, Freeze response in our old reptilian brain. It makes us ready to face whatever danger is confronting us. Our body goes on high-alert, surging with adrenalin, giving us the strength to act quickly and deal with the danger.

Our level would be about a 3 or 4 out of 10 and if we have done good preparation work on ourselves, we can do what is necessary to protect ourselves and then our bodies go back to a normal state.

However, if we find ourselves going up beyond a level 5, we are in danger of going into the second kind of fear called Panic Mode. Now here is where we are reacting, rather than responding. We are going back into our past traumatic experiences and being triggered into feeling old fears. We are now reacting disproportionately to the situation prompting our fear. What should we do if we feel that happening? First we should become aware that old fears are being triggered and then we can practice all our healing techniques…slow down your breathing, spend some time in nature, talk with a trusted professional or a friend about how you are feeling. Try to come back to the present moment. 

The third kind of fear in Fear of the Unknown. This can be fear of death,  great uncertainty in the world around us. Certainly, we are all dealing with this to a certain extent right now as this pandemic makes its way around the globe. This can be at a 9-10 level. We are all experiencing a brush with death, either in concrete terms if we have loved ones who are seriously ill or in our imaginations as we step further into the Unknown. Will our testing materials and ventilators be  enough? Will our elders be safe? Will I be safe? These are all big questions and they can bring on big fears. 

So this is what I want to say loud and clear in the midst of this. Now is the time to really focus on your self-care…more than ever…so that you can be aware of your inner strength and grit, your inner Hero or Heroine who is equipped to face this situation and who knows what to do. 

It is also time to decide if you are going to journey with love through this challenging time or travel with fear. The Fear track can escalate and take you further away from your True Self. 

The Love track can bring you strength and a growing ability to accept the unknown and live with compassion for yourself and others. It is providing us all with an opportunity to see how important connection is. We may not be able to hug each other but we can send love to ourselves and others. Perhaps there has never been a time in history when we are so aware of all people and how truly connected we are. 

So please take care of your selves…take all of the healthy precautions you know about and at the same time, please make that decision to journey with love. We will get through this my friends.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Now more than ever, my door is open to you.