Priya (name changed), a 14 year old girl is a very lonely child, her parents noticed that she constantly appears worried and is reluctant to attend social gatherings or talk to people .

Even on weekends, she prefers to stay indoors rather than going out with her friends or trying out some new activities. she expressed a constant fear regarding safety of her parents and becomes frantic, constantly calling them and texting them, if they are late from work. Even at school, she never answers in the class or participates in any activities, unless forced to do so . Her parents complain that she is afraid of getting out of her “Comfort zone ” …..

Have you ever thought, why do we hate to get out of our comfort zone’s ???

FEAR…. the fear of looking bad, fear of messing up, fear of unknown, and many more ….. which prevents many of us from stepping out of our comfort zones.

What is this fear / Where does it come from?

Fear is wired inside us, in a small part of our brain, the Amygdala….

Amygdala generates fear to keep us away from dangers (unwanted risk) necessary to keep us alive, for our survival. However problem arises when we fail to distinguish between good and bad risk.

The basic elements that create fear in our lives are:

• Uncertainty
• Attention
• Struggle
• Change …..

For some people life seems easy, not because they are privileged or very clever but because they have an amazing ability to relax, and look for solutions in Problem situations, to adjust and adapt to stressful situation due to their flexible thinking styles.

However, many of us are not so blessed, as a result fear makes us prone to focus overtly on bad things that could happen to us.

Thereby giving rise to a myriad of negative thoughts, pushing us in to a cycle of negative emotions and feelings.

This ultimately ends in a burden of worries, ruminations and Anxiety (persistent fear).

This anxiety (persistent fear) can be a product of one’s genetic disposition, temperament / personality trait or stressful life circumstances.

We all get anxious at times – anxiety is a normal part of human experience, which can be triggered temporarily by a specific event and then disappear once the event is over.

Sometimes, however this anxiety (persistent fear) manifest as an unwelcome presence throughout our lives, robbing us of the ability to enjoy the pleasant experiences, function effectively or to take up new opportunities.

Anxiety may present in different ways, some experience anxiety ‘on the inside’, while for some people it is visible in their body language or physical symptoms such as being extremely fidgety, restless or nervous, palpitations, tremors of the hand and avoiding or running away from the situation.

Learning to manage anxiety (persistent fear) includes three basic steps-

1. Recognising its origin.
2. Understanding the way this anxiety leads to misinterpretation of the situation.
3. And understanding our mental and behavioural habits which we adopt to when anxious, thereby creating a scary picture of the world in front us.

So, what can you do to overcome the demotivating influence of these negative anxiety generating thoughts ?

Following is the TRISUTRI to fight these negative thoughts…

1. If you are frequently getting anxious and feeling bogged down by these negative thoughts ACCEPTANCE that it is part of your nature is must. You need to learn to calm your mind by using simple techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness practices and meditation .
2. Make a habit to FOCUS on things which you can do now (present) and is under your control rather than thinking about what might happen in future which is not under your control.
3. It is said that empty mind is devil’s workshop. In order to break the chain of negative thoughts INDULGE in activities that will keep your mind busy like pursuing a hobby, learning new skills or playing sports. Making healthy lifestyle changes like regular exercise, healthy diet adequate sleep, staying away from alcohol & tobacco, is a must .

Last but not the least, at times when the situation may seem overwhelming , don’t shy away from sharing and seeking help .

“Be a warrior, not a worrier”.

 

© Dr Mayur Muthe, Consultant Psychiatrist
Muthe Hospital, Jalgaon .