Fear isn’t always obvious, but it’s always there

When we think of fear, we imagine big, scary stuff—like a guy with a mask and a machete chasing you, waking up to someone breaking into your home, or the monster under the bed when you were a kid.

Luckily, that’s very unlikely to happen. But fear? It still shows up daily—just in more subtle ways.

Fear is sneaky. And every time your brain senses it, survival mode kicks in, pushing you in the opposite direction of whatever is causing that fear.

An emotion that comes in all shapes and forms

Fear doesn’t always feel like panic or terror. More often, it looks like avoiding action:

• We suck it up and don’t voice our needs, thoughts, or desires—because conflict and discomfort are scary.
• We procrastinate or chase perfectionism instead of just doing the damn thing.
• We second-guess our intuition and try to control everything, running endless mental simulations before taking a step—only to feel more fear because we know we can’t predict everything.

At the core of it? We’re avoiding negative emotions and situations—shame, guilt, rejection, judgment. Because, let’s be real, no one wants to run straight into that.

Fear is deeply rooted in society.

We’re taught from a young age to be careful rather than be bold. We hear “watch out” more often than “go for it.”

But here’s a little conversation I love:
“Do it.”
“But I’m scared.”
“Do it scared.”

It’s simple, but it’s true.

How to get fear out of the way?

“Do It Scared”, sure, but how?

1. Recognize and acknowledge it.

Self-awareness is key. Know your enemy—kinda. Burying fear doesn’t get rid of it; it just saves it for later, when it will come back even louder.

2. Release it.

Instead of freaking out or shutting it down, pay attention to where fear shows up in your body. Breathe through it. Most of the time, we’re stacking thoughts on top of fear—when really, it’s just a body experience.

3. Talk to it.

I know, sounds weird. But stick with me. You can talk to your emotions. Mostly to understand where they’re coming from and what part of you is reacting. Spoiler alert: it’s often your inner child.

4. Reframe it.

I love reframing everything. Basically, take control of the narrative instead of letting fear write it for you. Ask yourself:

• Does it really have to happen that way?
• Is there proof that my fear is actually valid?
• Have I ever been wrong about something like this before?

Find ways to feed your sense of safety instead of your fear.

5. Do it anyway.

Yes, I know—scary AF. But taking action (even baby steps) is what breaks the cycle. Speak your mind. Complete that task. Make the decision. Show yourself that acting despite fear isn’t the end of the world.

Don’t let it run the show.

We tell ourselves so many stories about what’s not possible. And I’m not saying those fears don’t feel real—I’m saying a lot of them can be challenged, questioned, and overcome.

Being even 5% more daring is a huge success.

And the more you dare, the more you show your fear: “I got this.”

At some point, your brain will start believing you—and maybe, just maybe, it’ll take a long vacation to a beach far, far away. 

I’m telling you—you do got this. 💪