How We Turn Fear into Positive Action

By Mark Kaplan / June 4, 2020

It is only human to have fear of the unknown. These days, we have lots of unknowns. We are uncertain about continued employment, avoiding the virus, the economic outlook, and political leadership.

In his book Mastering Fear, Robert Maurer says there is no such thing as stress. We only know fear. Kids and successful people, Maurer says, express themselves in terms of being afraid. Most adults, the media, and other experts say we are stressed.

What Are Fear and Stress?

Both are thoughts that the challenge we face is more than our capabilities. We often say we are stressed because a task is too difficult or there are time problems. We often face fear or stress because we fear for our security or that of those close to us.

The brain is designed to recognize threats to our survival opportunities. It produces happiness brain chemicals when we are engaged in positive activities and stress hormones when we need to be aware of danger.

Unfortunately, the dangers the brain was designed to recognize no longer are relevant and the fear has changed to identify new threats. We fear everyday circumstances and yet we are rarely in mortal danger. This is why we call it stress instead of fear.

Not reaching a deadline may have repercussions on continued employment. Getting fired threatens our financial security and could lead to our family facing hardship. We often feel helpless and overwhelmed.

Creating a Positive Mindset

There are two main modes in which our brain operates after it automatically takes care of managing our body functions. It is either positive about our survival opportunities or it is worried about our abilities to survive. For one it produces happiness brain chemicals and for the other it produces stress hormones.

You can influence the mode by your daily behaviors. Exercise can produce endorphins which is one of the big highs of living. This is why so many fanatics are addicted to vigorous exercise. A morning or daily routine will change your life.

Learning, creating, and contributing are the three other activities that produce dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These are the chemicals that must be stimulated if you want to feel positive about your life. The brain stimulates these hormones and neurotransmitters when it thinks you are doing something positive for your survival.

Learning is increasing your skills or knowledge. Creativity is putting what you know in action or maybe connecting the dots of information to form a new work or result. Contributing is sharing your skills or giving of your time and affection to others. Engaging in each of these activities with exercise each day will keep the happiness brain chemicals pumping.

The brain automatically defaults to stress hormones of cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine when you are not doing something positive. In early man it was a warning to start hunting for the next meal. Prolonged stress begins a serious physical deterioration of your immunity system and health.

Develop New Daily Habits

Keystone habits cause all other habits to change. Many say that an early morning exercise routine will change your life. Beginning a new nutritional regimen can make you feel positive about your health prospects. I once lost 50 pounds over 4 years and in the process everything about my life changed.

Deciding to take a new course or get a degree might change your outlook. Studies found that when students were taught how to improve their learning, they soon were drinking less, smoking less, and spending less. None of these results were mentioned in their course.

Create a new habit that will improve your opportunities for survival. It could be relevant to health, fitness, income, or relationships. These are the major concerns in our lives. Tweaking one might cause each one to take on a new appearance.

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