By Megan Evans RMT, CRHP

Feel the ease in Fear

You might be thinking that it’s odd that I would choose fear for our summer theme. It’s the season of blue skies and sunshine! But life isn’t always sunny with rainbows and lollipops. So when times feel dark and a cloud is hanging over, face that fear and “you must do the thing you think you cannot do” as Eleanor Roosevelt says.

Start small, slow and build your way up. Practicing “facing your fears” on your own terms will not only help you overcome your known fears, but it will prepare you for when fear pops it’s ugly head when you least expect it. Practice feeling ease in the face of fear.

“Exposure is hands down the most successful way to deal with phobias, anxiety disorders, and everyday fears of any sort,” says neuroscientist Philippe Goldin. “Simply repeatedly exposing ourselves to the thing we’re afraid of — ideally in a positive way — gradually brings down the physiologic fear response until it’s gone, or at least manageable.”

When I first started writing these quarterly newsletters, it created a lot of anxiety and stress for me. Writing is not my forte! Even though I had the support of the TL team with their incredible write-ups, I would still question every new season why I intentionally put myself through these unpleasant feelings. I knew deep down, it was good for me, I still didn’t like it, but now I am glad I did and I feel I have really grown from this experience. I now look forward to each new season because my fear response to writing has greatly diminished. I hope you enjoy and learn from our newsletters as much as I do.