HOW TO FIGHT OFF FEARS THAT CAUSE COGNITIVE DECLINE

Our world is full of uncertainties, troubles and dangers. These unavoidable realities of life keep people in constant fear and discomfort, even when fears are unfounded and unnecessary. This has plunged so many people into situations of chronic fear or fear conditioning.

Regrettably, every case of fear starts from the brain after being stimulated by the senses in connection with goings on around, and also abstract thinking. This, as shown by so many evidences, impacts brain health so negatively, especially its cognitive functions. And not surprisingly, so many brain diseases such as stroke, dementia, psychosis, schizophrenia and so on  have been correlated with fear.

Thanks to the evidences gathered from several studies, some antidotes to the ugly monster -- fear -- have been uncovered. These antidotes are not chemotherapeutic. They are surprisingly simple practices including:

Allowing your rational self control your natural self

Fear as a natural behavior, marked by the absence of courage, and short-circuits every rational process in the brain, making anyone under its influence to act irrationally and impulsively. This results in chains of mistakes and damage. Therefore, it is important to allow reasoning to set in as fast as possible in any event of fear.

Working on your beliefs

Every courageous man has an operative convention. The man David was able to confront and defeat Goliath owing to his belief. He believed he was smarter, more experienced and better skilled in his fighting method than his opponent, Goliath. To validate and consolidate that, he made some acclamations and proclamations to show his strong belief in his God before Goliath. In the end, he was victorious. The character, 'Jaguar', in the movie, "apocalipto", also showcased this attribute. You should try it.


Learning to accept realities

Don't be afraid of the unknown. Be realistic. See your contributions as an honour and privilege. Don't see your self as unworthy to be in any place, or to meet any person. Most of the things we fear are not true.

Getting regular and adequate doses of laughter

Laughter correlates positively with confidence and courage. It has a way of countering fear by enhancing the release of feel-good, pain-killer and antidepressant neurotransmitters such as dopamine, endorphins, serotonin and others which block fear pathways in the brain. Therefore, getting regular doses of laughter is a roadmap to courage and improved brain health and power.

Mastering your fears

Taking time to understudy and understand what worries and makes you fear neutralizes and circumvents your fears and makes you more rational and creative.

Focusing on your strength and not your weaknesses

So many evidences show that people are more productive and successful when they exhibit confidence in what they can do. Trying not to be any other person but themselves. This attitude has been shown to boost people's creativity.

Planning your approach to issues

Delving into the execution of tasks without proper planning may result in failure which may lead to loss of confidence, reduced self-worth and fear of another failure. This may result in a vicious cycle of fear which hampers creativity and productivity.

Be behind the wheels of your life

Do something about anything that weighs you down. Avoid jobs or relationships that still your joy. Be active with positive activities. Try new things. Associate with people that make you happy. All these make your life beautiful, and your brain healthy and powerful.

Festus C. Anaba, B Med.