Lesson 3: Fear, a continuation of the series "Balancing Emotions"

[Kanpekina Shima]

Let's talk a little bit about a pretty common emotion - fear. I can help you better understand what’s going on when we feel sad, and make it less scary. But first tell me - do you usually describe your emotions in vague terms, like, “I feel good” and “I feel bad”, or are you more likely to describe your emotion in more specific terms, like, “I feel sad and blue”? The most common negative emotions that people struggle with are sadness, fear, and anger. Let's talk about fear now. What does fear feel like for you? Fear can occur in response to danger or when something bad is going to happen. Fear can also occur simply from thinking about what might go wrong in the future. When you feel afraid, do you ever feel it in your body? Some people may feel their heart pounding or racing, sweating, shaking, stomach turning, dizziness, or even dry mouth. One behavior that's pretty common is avoidance — trying to stay away from the scary thing. Fear can be pretty unpleasant, but it can also help you. Fear can tell us we're in danger, and it can prepare our body to better cope with stress and threat. It can also save us time, getting us to act in important situations. However, fear and anxiety can sometimes spiral out of control. Has this ever happened to you? It can be really difficult. Sometimes, our fear response can get activated in situations that are actually safe, leading us to avoid things that we shouldn’t avoid. For example, perhaps you are so nervous about a test that you avoid studying until the last minute, after the pressure has built up so much that you can’t avoid it any longer. So next time you experience fear, try to understand if it's helpful or damaging, and how you can alter it with your behavior.

A peronal note: What I am really saying is that you don’t need to do anything, because if you see yourself in the correct way, you are all as much extraordinary phenomenon of nature as trees, clouds, the patterns in running water, the flickering of fire, the arrangement of the stars, and the form of a galaxy. You are all just like that, and there is nothing wrong with you at all.

Alright, that's it for today.
Class dismissed!