How to Overcome Fear: Tips From MasterClass Instructors

Fear holds people back because it allows them to think out worst-case scenarios instead of moving confidently and mindfully throughout their real lives. Fearful thoughts might center around a real or merely perceived threat, but the effect of either is the same: an increased sense of anxiety and trepidation about stepping out of your comfort zone.

Some people might have a more generalized sense of fear while others have more specific phobias, but no matter the specific type of fear, it can still lead you away from living your best life and maximizing your sense of well-being.

Everyone experiences fear in a somewhat unique way, but there are some general sensations you can expect across the board. As your nervous system goes into a high level of alert, your heart might start beating faster, your mouth might get drier, and you might experience an overwhelming sense of dread in the short term. This holds true whether you experience an external stressor or a more internal sense of distress.

In extreme cases, someone might experience so much fear and anxiety they have a panic attack. In this circumstance, you might feel all the same sensations of a heart attack—chest tightness and pain, sweating, shortness of breath, and the like. Luckily, panic attacks are not dangerous for your physical health, although they’re still severely uncomfortable and distressing. Still, it’s important to rule out any physical problems in such a circumstance to maintain your personal safety.

Conquering your fears is a lifelong and rewarding process of personal development. Talk therapy, relaxation techniques (like deep breathing and meditation), exercise, and medication might all help you overcome symptoms of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. A clinical psychologist, psychotherapy provider, or mental health professional can help you deduce whether the fear you experience is within normal parameters or a sign of a larger anxiety disorder. Keep these tips from MasterClass instructors in mind as you do your best to overcome fear:

• Channel your fear positively. “Everybody feels self-conscious and afraid,” Grammy Award–winning musician St. Vincent says. “If you can speak to that in a way that's real, then you can move the needle just slightly in a more empathetic direction for the world.” Suppose you overcome or mitigate your own fear of failure. You could join up with a support group to offer help to others hoping to do the same.
• Evaluate your thinking. As you seek to overcome your fear response, remember to step back and look at your anxiety levels mindfully. “Fear can keep you from thinking clearly,” television personality and scientist Bill Nye says. “It can keep you from thinking—fear can keep you from thinking clearly, keep you from thinking scientifically.” When you’re experiencing a fight-or-flight response, try to remove yourself from the situation and give yourself some time to calm down and think more objectively.
• Face your fear head-on. “I actually hate fear,” Olympic gymnast Simone Biles says. “And if I become fearful of a skill for a second, I'll try to count to three, and check myself, and do it. Because that's how much I hate fear. I hate that it will stop you.” Ultimately, facing fears is all about getting out of your comfort zone for the first time, the second time, and every time after that, too, as a form of exposure therapy.
• Find the humor in your fear. It might be difficult in moments of intense fear, but it’s possible to turn your negative thoughts into a source of personal relief and lightheartedness. “Make shame your friend,” St. Vincent says. “Find humor in all situations and be able to laugh at yourself because there's no way to get good at something without being bad at it first.” As an example, think of a performer or comedian who struggles with social anxiety disorder but still finds the self-confidence to perform before numerous people.
• Go back to fundamentals. “If you are fearful of any skill,” Simone says, “I would say to go all the way back to the fundamentals of that skill, set up some drills, ask your coach if they can spot you so you'll gain confidence in that skill again.” Going back to basics helps you feel more confident in yourself. Imagine you have a fear of public speaking. You could listen to a self-help podcast about the basic principles of addressing other people.
• Recognize the negativity of fear. Extreme fear prevents you from living life to the fullest. “When people are afraid all the time, their quality of life is much lower,” Bill says. “But also they make bad decisions. We don't use our time productively because we're spending so much time being afraid of things.” The more you recognize this, the more motivation you’ll feel to truly fight against fear with all you have in you.
• Remember your efforts. Practice makes perfect—and odds are you’ve done things to overcome the things that scare you in your daily life already. “Whenever I talk to the girls about them being nervous, about qualifying for a bigger meet that they want to go to, I always tell them it’s the same exact meet,” Simone says. “You're doing the same exact skills that you do in training, and nothing changes besides the name of the meet.” Remember all the effort you’ve already put forward to conquer your fears to give you the fuel for your future endeavors, too.

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