Fear is a natural emotion that everybody experiences. In some cases, fear is useful to help save ourselves from dangerous situations. But often, excessive fear can lead to anxiety and stress. This can cause you to miss out on what’s happening in the real world. We can never entirely get rid of fear, but we can choose to believe in ourselves and do what’s best for us despite what fear thinks we should do. Here are some things you can do to combat your fear.

• Talk to yourself 

We all have to deal with fear. Sometimes we need to be our own best friend, like how you would want your friend to reassure you that everything will be okay and that they are here for you. You need to do the same with yourself. Understand why you are scared and give yourself the push to get beyond your fears. You cannot succeed in life if you do not trust yourself.  

•  Put yourself out there 

Nobody wants to do anything alone, but sometimes you may find you’re at your best when you do something on your own. If there is a dance class happening nearby and your friends can’t make it, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and see what the event is like for yourself. There is never a loss in any experience, just a lesson or a blessing. It can be scary to do something out of your comfort zone, but you can find who you are when you take a leap of faith. Your doubts and anxiety might tell you that you can’t do anything, but keep in mind some things may be difficult, but never impossible. If you want to study abroad or become a rock star, you will have to put in the effort. And it can be daunting, but if you keep working hard and never give up, you will be precisely where you need to be. 

•  Learn from your mistakes 

Mistakes are the reason why we fear. We are scared that our errors will force us into a life where we are miserable, or where everything goes wrong. But mistakes are not as bad as they seem. Our mistakes are our first taste of the real world. Nobody is perfect, and we all have flaws that cause us to make mistakes in life. If you never make a mistake, then you haven’t lived life. There will be times when you feel as if you are doing everything wrong, or when you feel like you should give up. But don’t give in to your fear, just keep doing the best you can. The more you expose yourself to the thing that scares you, the more you will realize that it wasn’t the event that was scary but the fear of failure. 

•  Make every day count 

When people tell you to live your life as if you will die tomorrow, they have a point. There are so many opportunities that can be missed in a blink of an eye, and we must take advantage of them. Don’t second-guess yourself. Do whatever you can to keep your life entertaining and full of experiences. If you have always wanted to do something, don’t think about doing it someday and strive to do it now. 

•  Don’t overwhelm yourself 

We are humans, not machines. We can’t do it all, and we often forget that. If you couldn’t do what you wanted or missed the deadline, don’t beat yourself up. If you feel as if you are doing too much, then step back and relax. Give yourself some time to think for yourself. But be proud of everything you have accomplished and root for you. Be your own cheerleader and the people who love you will believe in you too. It all starts with how we look at ourselves.