Content warning: In this episode, we talk about our fears as kids and adults, including scary media at about a PG-13 level. We also touch on some deeper existential fears. If these things may be triggering for you, feel free to skip this episode or parts of it. Toward the end, we talk about how to deal with fear, which we all need to do in some way, and we hope those takeaways are helpful.
In honor of Halloween season, we talk about fear: what it is, how it affects us, and how we deal with it.
Buckle up: it’s Halloween season, and we’re talking about fear! Fear is a primitive emotion that evolved to protect us from real threats, but it can also hold us back from taking risks that would likely benefit us.
We discuss:
- How fear affects our brains and bodies – keeping us safe from short-term threats but causing harm in an ongoing state
- What scared us as kids and what scares us now – both the tangible and the existential
- Why the content we consumed as kids in the ‘80s was legit terrifying
- Strategies for dealing with intangible fears that aren’t actually life-threatening:
- Acknowledge your fear and allow space for it, but don’t let it drive. (Adapted from Elizabeth Gilbert’s fantastic book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear)
- Get curious about your fear.
- Allow the fear and do the thing anyway – if the outcome is worth it to you.
- Overcome your fears through evidence-based strategies, working with a therapist as needed.
Get In Touch
How do you deal with things that scare you? What advice about fear would you like to share?Email us at podcast[at]semitogether.com or send us a voice memo.
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Resources
- Rising Spiral Coaching, where Melia is coaching fellow self-critics and perfectionists, including adults with ADHD
- On the Nature of Fear (Scientific American)
- What is the science behind fear? (CNN Health)
- How Evolution Designed Your Fear (Nautilus)
- Chapman University Survey on American Fears
- People Pleaser? Here are 5 Ways to Unlearn Your ‘Fawn’ Response (Healthline)
- Chronic stress puts your health at risk (Mayo Clinic)
- Your Fear is Boring (Elizabeth Gilbert)
- “Face Your Fears” music video (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
- Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky
- Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle