What are you most afraid of? Is it spiders, snakes, or other creepy-crawlies? Is it one of your teachers, lecturers, or maybe your employer? Could it be something more abstract like the fear of not being good enough or the fear of your dreams going unrealised?
Whatever it is, every instinct in your body will probably be screaming at you to avoid or fight off all of these things that trigger fear and anxiety. While this seems like the most sensible thing to do, more often than not this means that your fears will get the best of you. They could end up interfering with your ability to reach your full potential if you don’t conquer them.
Facing Your Fears
A quick google search of the phrases “overcome your fears” and “how to be brave” yields a flood of listicles giving you tips on how to master your fears. Most of these articles seem to suggest the same thing: it starts with facing your fears.
The overall idea is that courage is not a lack of fear, but lies in being vulnerable enough to admit that you do have fears. It is only when you acknowledge your fears and develop a sense of self-awareness that you can start working on confronting and overcoming them.
Some other tips for overcoming your fears include:
- Embrace your failures – failure is a part of life, so you might as well use your failures as opportunities to learn.
- Train yourself to deal with discomfort – getting used to managing uncomfortable situations will go a long way in helping you get past your fears and anxieties.
- Treat yourself with kindness – your self-esteem plays a substantial role in how you deal with fear, so it is important to make a habit out of speaking to yourself in a positive light.
- Practice mindfulness – learn to stay in the present and look into exercises that enhance your ability to focus on the moment.

Determining How Your Fears Stand in Your Way
Our fears often stand in the way of what we aim to accomplish in our careers, studies, and personal lives. Setting goals is only one part of the journey – reaching them is where the real work lies. Once you have established which fears might be stifling your success, a strategy to conquer them needs to follow.
In the realm of distance education, for example, feeling secluded can be a major cause of anxiety for students. Although the right distance learning college will ensure that you receive adequate support, the fear of isolation needs to be overcome so that you can embrace the independence of being in control of your own studies.
Achieving Your Goals
To set yourself up for success, you need to address your anxieties and take action against them before they prevent you from achieving your goals.
What’s holding you back? Put those fears aside and reach out to us – we’ll help you take your next step in education.
You must be logged in to post a comment.