#3 Exercises to Combat Fear and Anxiety In The War Of Business Your ability to take control on your fear and anxiety defines your scale of leadership success
By Dr J Chakravorty •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Game changers in business do not always experience very pleasant and smooth ride in their success journey. The journey is often full of challenges, rivalry, treachery and betrayal. Sometimes huge financial losses are incurred whereas in many instances opportunity lost results in massive setbacks.
What is the Formula to Success?
How can one combat the inner and outer struggle of winning in business dealings? How to get the extra fuel? How to acquire the extraordinary abilities to scale ahead?
The answer lies in the ability to take control of your mind. When you are embracing something new and you are out of comfort zone -- it is the fear in your mind that drives you.
Your ability to take control on your fear and anxiety defines your scale of leadership success.
What is fear? Technically fear is a very tiny almond shape part that controls emotion. A baby has no sense of fear or anxiety. Fear is what we accumulate through our various experiences as we grow up. Our brain is designed to recognize threat and panic that look on our face. It responds vigorously when encountering fear in order to protect us from a near collapse situation by releasing stress hormones and combats anxiety or panic attack, biologically.
However, sometimes in the long run, fear has positive influence on us too. It is fear that forces us to excel, bring change, to compete, to innovate to get good score in exam. Whether real or imaginary, for present and future, fear often drives our fuel.
These three-step exercises may help you combat the fear and anxiety in the war of business:
Step 1 - Know the Power of Imagination
In every corner of the world, individuals are taking leaps of faith to uncertainty and into the mysterious, trampling upon fears, big or small, conquering apprehension, colossal or devastating, so that they can experience the power of their actual talent, to follow their own heart and find the real calling of their lives. Every day, miracles are happening when someone is abandoning fear and espousing courage. As an entrepreneur, you too can raise your value to match your potential if you can deal with your fears with the power of your imagination.
There is no proof better than your own feeling when you dump fear rather than let it take control you. If you have done it, bravo! If you have not, do it now!
Step 2 - Overwrite Anxiety Image
When you are in a business venture and are negotiating a deal with a team or client - feelings you are carrying inside affect your entire deal. Do your homework rigorously to expunge all fear of failure and focus on the merits of your project and proposal.
If you are focussed, motivated - it means you are carrying the positive, empowering image and emotion in your journey. When you are energised you energise others.
Step 3 - Create a State of Confidence
It is possible to create positive vibes even if you are not in the zone of confidence and when fear grips you from inside. For a moment close your eyes and see in your mind's eye a place of your comfort or a relaxed environment. Focus on your breath, slow down and breathe in deeply and slowly breathe out. Repeat the exercise thrice.
The moment you are able place yourself in an ambience of comfort and ease, you will be relaxed, and slowly your anxiety will reduce. Count 1to10 slowly.
You can also recall a situation in the past, where you were full in control of the state of affairs and were dealing with it in full confidence. See through your mental eye what exactly you were doing and live into the picture. Press your left thumb and middle finger when the full intensity of feeling is there for 10 second, repeat this 3 times. Open your eyes and blink for few moments. Now if you check your intensity of fear on a scale of 1-10, you will find it is reduced. Practise it till you see the scale to 1.
Repetition is the mother of all acquired skills, it is said. Our brain is highly flexible and adaptable to change - change your image -your story changes.
