7 Tips for Navigating Fear

I planted these Birds of Paradise over a decade ago. They’ve grown a lot, and I love seeing them glow in the late afternoon sun. May we too stand tall and shine!

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​During a recent meditation, the West Side Story song “Somewhere” sprung to mind, along with these lyrics: There’s a place for us. Somewhere a place for us. Hold my hand and we’re halfway there . . .

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My next thought was: There’s a place beyond fear, and when I hold my own hand, when I’m gentle, loving, and supportive with myself—I’m halfway there. 
 
Where is this place beyond fear and how do we get there? Here are a few suggestions for moving beyond fear, and into a calmer, happier, space:

1. Leave your fearful thinking alone. When you do this, when you don’t engage with your fearful thinking, or take it seriously, it passes. Think of fearful thoughts as clouds rolling over blue sky. You are the sky. Your thoughts are the clouds. They will pass. 
   
   
2. Engage in authentic self-expression. This can be anything from having a heart-to-heart with a beloved family member or friend, creating an art project, playing music, writing in a journal, or cooking a great meal. It could mean taking a hike or exercising. The key is to let go of whatever pent-up negative energy is circulating within, and to release your inner pressure-cooker valve. Hugging pillows and having a good cry can also accomplish this. 
   
   
3. Pivot to a more positive thought. You can’t control negative thoughts, but you can recognize your reaction to them. You can choose to leave scary, limiting thoughts alone, and then pivot. Look in the direction of your well-being. Nourish yourself. Eat healthy food. Take a nap. Call a friend. Watch a TED Talk. Listen to a podcast. Read. Take a walk. Get present. Wait for the storm to pass. 
   
   
4. Avoid mindless social media scrolling and overconsumption of news. It’s one thing to stay informed and another to be hijacked by the news. If you drip, drip, drip the news into your mind, body, and spirit all day long, you might find yourself drenched with fear. 
   
   
5. Be of service. We think we need to do big things, but small actions taken with a loving heart have great impact. The term for this is “morphic resonance,” coined by Rupert Sheldrake, a British biologist who described “a paranormal influence by which a pattern of events or behavior can facilitate subsequent occurrences of similar patterns.” Direct links exist between what we do and how our actions affect others. Fear is contagious. What we put into the “energy field” matters. Recently, one of my students said, “We are your ministry.” This filled me with joy because this is one place in my life where I show up without fear and with a clear intention to be of service. My circle of influence—family, students, clients, neighbors, and friends—is small, but it’s enough. Never doubt the ability ripples have to make waves. Practice kindness, compassion, and love. 
   
   
6. Explore spiritual practices. Cultivate faith in yourself, in others, and in life itself. Do this in community and also in the privacy of your own home. Turn to nature, or to teachers. Try meditation or journal writing. You may find yourself in the blissful state of direct inner knowing (of your essence), which is fearless. 
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7. Practice gratitude. Count your blessings: hot water for showers, clean drinking water, fresh food, shelter, friends, family, your health—even if you’re experiencing health challenges there’s more that’s working than not. Our bodies are miraculous. Have you heard the saying that God likes a happy customer? Appreciate what you have and watch your blessings multiply. Give thanks. Every day.

Switch off your settings for autopilot living. Turn toward the light within. Even as the pandemic rages, as our government erupts, as old systems are destroyed to make way for new ones, as change sweeps through our world, remind yourself that a place exists beyond fear. Peace is available right now. It’s inside. It’s everlasting. It’s alive and well underneath all the chaos. Remember the blue sky. Hold your own hand. Be gentle, loving, and supportive with yourself, and remember to breathe.