Beating fear? -Get real!

Yep, absolutely. Get REAL.
Fear is about distortions of reality as much as it is about real danger. Much of the time we are being thrown back to more vulnerable times and ages.
But each time the fear wins, it gets STRONGER -you lose.
It takes over your story, dictating what you can and can't do.
Luckily the flip side is true too, Everytime you confront it, you get to overwrite the old story, and write the next bit about what you CAN do now.. It's a pager turner.
So...how?

Well, you have to see it coming.
Know your enemy.
The easiest way to take the mythical terror out of fear is to rate it out of 10. 1 is chilled, 5 is good stress where you're alert and revved, and 91/2 is running down the street screaming... or freezing... or lashing out. You know, fight, flight or freeze.

I always break things down into 3 steps: Notice, Sort and Do.

If you don't do the last step, then you didn't grab the pen and the fear has won this round.

Know the signs of body stress

NOTICE
Now, 7 1/2 out of 10 stress is an important number. It's the A-line, the ADRENALINE line. It's where you get sweaty, tense, flush and feel your heart pounding. There are early and late signs that let you know if it's just beginning or well on its way. It's important to notice yourself crossing the A-line.
Why?
This means that a whole heap of cortisol, the body's stress hormone, is being dumped into your blood stream.
So?
So -it shuts down your brain. The reasoning from this point is useless. Actually, worse that useless because it's panicked and voicing all your worst nightmares, your critical facilities are offline because of the cortisol so you believe all that stuff.

You need to get your brain back

SORT
So, what do you need to sort?
Well, get under the A-line so you can get your brain back. Slow your breathing, deep and slow. Hands on tummy and breath such a deep full breath that your descending diaphragm pushes your tummy and hands out. 7seconds in and 11 seconds out.
Focus on your body, do a body wave where joint by joint you bring your awareness to your body and what position it is occupying in space it only takes a minute tops but once the body is calmed, the mind will follow. If you throw your whole attention onto these tasks it will distract you from the fear bouncing and expanding in your head.
All sorted?

Now your brain's back...

DO
Next it's time to Do.
Establish that you're safe now, that things are OK and manageable.
The panic is over and check that it is -if it isn't more slow breathing and body grounding.
Realise that you're big and grown up, all the great and interesting things that you can do and especially how capable you are.
And the task you were afraid of?
-Just break it down into smaller steps and take them at a pace you can manage.
Write that next chapter and overwrite the fear.
And that's how you have a Betta Day.