Fear.
It is an emotion that either freezes us or sends us running.
If you have ever experienced an event or trauma that froze you with fear (or made you run like a cheetah), likely, you will never forget that feeling: it is forged in to your brain in such a way that the mere mention of that memory sends your body into a reactionary state and you can still feel the fear; the knots in your belly, the racing of your mind, the heaviness in your chest.
I have many of these.
I’m sure you have yours to.
With the current unsettling Global situation we are in right now, fear seems to be reigning. Our lives feel threatened, our loved ones at risk, our ability to connect with one another severed and controlled. Fear is coursing through the veins of humanity, threatening to flatten us with all its uncertainty and discomfort.
I believe that all emotions are useful. They have their place and their appropriate uses, when the timing and the scenario fit. I believe that when we are able to tap in to our emotions and listen to them, be curious about why they are there and what they are trying to say to us, that they are incredible teachers.
I believe that we can use our emotions to help us do better.
So, let me introduce to you the “Superhero Pose”.
I originally got this idea from the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy”, but have loved it so much that I have used it time and time again in my own life, in hard times, with friends and with clients, and with my son. The pose speaks for itself: take the stance of a Superhero, put your strong arms on your hips, ground through your feet, and push out your chest as though you are ready to take on whatever the world throws at you (it helps if you wear a cape).
The pose says: “Stand In Your Power”.
The pose says: “You can handle whatever comes your way”.
The pose says: “Bravery in the face of fear”.
If you take this pose at a time when you feel vulnerable and afraid, and hold it for at least 1 minute, breathe into it, feel it, embody it, then you can actually change your mindset and thus, your emotions: from fear and anxiety to strength & resilience. If you can create thoughts about being brave and truly imagine being brave in the face of a challenge, you can actually create new electrical activity in your brain that can stimulate the release of chemicals called neuropeptides that will communicate with your body to change the feelings (super cool!). You can harness that fear and turn it into bravery and superpower.
You may struggle with this idea, and that’s ok. You may think: sure, I’ve seen other people do this, but not me (enters the voice of self-doubt). Hear me out: Fear is a very powerful and dominating emotion. Fear has very sharp fangs and long, ugly nails; fear has huge, hairy feet and bulging eyeballs. I know, fear is scary; we’ve all seen it and experienced it. And yet, we ALL have the power to turn fear into something more powerful.
Every single one of us.
Here are a few ideas to help you:
Harnessing Your Superpowers
What are YOUR Superpowers? We ALL have superpowers. Some use them more than others. What are yours? What are your strengths? If you struggle to find them, ask some of your friends or family members and write down what they say. Focus on elaborating on these strengths: write in your journal, ask yourself how these strengths make you who you are and affect how you move through the world. How can you step forward and harness your superpowers/strengths to bring more power into your life?
What was the last thing you did that made you feel brave? Did you recently confront a bully or call up an old friend for advice? Did you ask someone for forgiveness? Did you dive off a cliff or point your skis down a run you thought was out of your league? Did you step into a vulnerable moment in order to find guidance or resolve? Did you push yourself beyond what you thought was your limit?
Reminding yourself of a brave thing or moment you’ve recently had is a great way to remind yourself that: you ARE brave, that you have brave in you. Remember those feelings and apply them to a new situation.
What are you most passionate about in life? Passion drives us forward. Every time. If you find yourself feeling unmotivated, think about what you are passionate about. Is it nature, exercise, food, art, music, dance, martial arts, climbing, humour, writing? We all have passion, but for some, it gets lost for a while. This is the perfect time to reignite your passion. Start a list. Write them on the wall. Post them on the fridge. Passions ARE Superpowers. If you can reunite yourself with your passion, you will find strength & resilience – that is where you will find the power to be Brave In the Face Of Fear.
Listen, I know we can’t be brave all the time. I know that sometimes we have to sit with our fear or anxiety and just be with it. But I also know that we cannot allow fear to rule us or gain the upper hand. That is when we lose our truest selves. Remember something here: fear has the power to weaken us; it depletes our immune system and runs us down, and changes how we treat others.
You can be better than fear.
You can be brave.
It is in you.
You just have to believe.
Stand in your Superhero Pose.