They say you have nothing to fear but fear itself, and maybe that’s because fear does a lot of damage to your wellbeing. In fact, two fears in particular – the fear of poverty and the fear of criticism – can lead to chronic health concerns and, in order to reach the gateway to better wellness, you need to confront these fears head on.
The fear of poverty
You know you have a fear of poverty if you’re constantly worrying that you don’t have enough money, even if, in reality, you have the money that you really need. If you’re thinking about changing jobs or starting a new business, for example, you start to fret about what will happen when you run out of money. This fear prevents you from taking the first step to change. So, how do you defeat your fear of poverty?
The first thing is to get accurate information. Oftentimes your fears blow things out of proportion, so it can be helpful to talk to people who have achieved what you want to do. Another great way to conquer your poverty fears is to ask yourself a different kind of “what if” question. Instead of saying “what if I don’t have enough money?” ask yourself “what if I am paid for the work I do easily and well?” or “what if I like my work so much I never want to retire?” This changes your attitude towards work from one of survival to one of enjoyment, which helps to reduce the fear of poverty.
Aside from this, you have to admit that you’re not happy in your current situation. After all, happiness is more important than having more money than you know what to do with. Then, set yourself up for the next chapter of your life by putting away some savings and spending only on the things you need. Will you require education or training to advance? Look into your learning options. Finally, surround yourself with the right people. Rather than talking to negative people about your plans, associate with people who take risks in spite of their fears – you might find that some of that risk-taking courage rubs off on you.
The fear of criticism
In our culture today, we sadly measure success by status and money, instead of being true to yourself. Doctors’ offices are full of people who are stressed by trying to be perfect, and fear showing any chinks in their armour. The symptoms of the fear of criticism include:
- Procrastination
- Inability to accept a critique without defending yourself
- Having conflicting feelings about starting and completing projects
- Thinking of mistakes as unforgivable failures
You may have grown up in a highly critical family, and therefore your default setting is to blame yourself when you fall short of perfect, or even if you’ve done nothing wrong at all. It does not occur to you that critics could be wrong, or that the flaws they see in you belong to them. So, to defeat the fear of criticism you first have to have compassion for the human condition. We all make errors and accepting this makes it easier to come up with a solution, and even improve as a result. Also, make sure you retain your sense of humour. When you can laugh at your mistakes, even the harshest critics will be disarmed. In those moments when you get down on yourself, watch a comedy, go for some exercise or hang out with a friend who makes you laugh. This can help you remember that the mountain you are making of the situation is just a molehill.