Fear of the Unknown

So, whether you’re noticing fear arise for you professionally, personally, or organizationally, here are some important questions to ask yourself in order to move away from the “freeze” state that fear can bring, and move forward:

1. 1.  What’s the real problem? This might sound silly, but when we are captured by fear, we often end up trying to solve the wrong problem. With the professionals I mentor, the topic of “impostor syndrome” arises quite a bit (full blog post on this coming soon!). Often people think that they need more knowledge or training to overcome the sense of feeling like a fraud, and while that can sometimes be helpful and needed, it is usually not the problem that needs to be solved.  
2.  
3. In the case of impostor syndrome, the perceived problem is typically “feeling” like a fraud, not actually being a fraud. So, the solution is usually to speak to trusted people about your feelings, practice self-compassion, and reframe your thinking patterns. Sometimes, trying to expand knowledge can actually increase the sense of impostor syndrome.  
4.  
5. Typically, what you see on the surface (such as the bubbling drywall behind my fridge) is a symptom of the real problem, rather than a root cause. If I had just repaired the drywall and painted, the wall would look better, but the problem would not be resolved. When you notice fear arising, make efforts to go deeper to try to better understand the problem at hand.
6.  

• 2.  What are the consequences of action vs. inaction? Fear is a warning sign from our body, and it is not unusual for us to have a flight, fight, or freeze response to fear. And unless we are in a life-threatening situation, immediate action is often not necessary. So, in cases where we are not in mortal danger, making space for problem-solving and decision-making is really important. One of the best ways to do this is to consider the consequences of different responses. 
•  
• Avoiding making a decision is still a decision (even if it’s not a fully conscious one). It is better to intentionally choose not to take action after careful consideration, than to default to inaction. Our inaction default mode is more comfortable in the short-term because you can avoid facing the feeling of fear in the moment. However, the problem typically doesn’t just go away and that fear can rise as time goes on. Often consequences become greater with delayed action.  
•  
• Another way to put this is: What are the tradeoffs of each option? When you have clarity of what the problem is (see item 1), this will be a much more straightforward process. In activating our decision-making process, we are not letting our feelings (in this case fear) be in the driver’s seat, but we are also not ignoring them.
•  
• 3.  What/who would be supportive in this process? The fear response tends to cause us to feel isolated and disconnected. The opposite of those feelings arises when our social engagement system is activated. The best way to tune into our social engagement system is to *drum roll please* engage socially. This doesn’t mean that we hit up the nearest party, it is actually about finding space to be vulnerable with appropriate, trusted individuals.  
•  

• Connection is not just found externally. What internal resources can you utilize to make this process of coping with the unknown more bearable? Perhaps you like making lists and doing so will help you feel more connected to the concerns at hand and possible solutions. Or maybe you’re creative and you can draw out your fears to make them feel less powerful. Finding support systems you enjoy can help ease the discomfort of facing your fears.