Channelling your fears: An art worth mastering

The Cambridge Dictionary defines fear as "an unpleasant emotion or thought that you have when you are frightened or worried by something dangerous, painful, or bad that is happening or might happen" and this much-dreaded emotion floods our lives on an everyday basis. Fear comes in several forms and manifestations, and yet, arguably the biggest harm it causes is stagnating us into inaction. Fear freezes us, and undoing the freeze can often be a herculean task. Consequently, there is a profusion of talk about fighting your fear and conquering it and yet, fear survives, reverberates and comes back in unexpected ways. This phenomenon is necessary to acknowledge, for it makes us rethink our approach to fear. Can fear be defeated? Does fear have to be eliminated? Or, is there a smarter and more fruitful way to go about it?

Kristen Ulmer, author of The Art of Fear comes up with a crucial intervention in this regard. She categorizes the usual assumptions around it, noting that if you feel fear, "that means you have an unnaturally weak character and need to address that problem" or "that means you are experiencing a natural, universal certainty that comes with being alive, for all sentient beings, from start to finish." Ulmer remarks that intellectually, we know that the latter is true, stating that "Fear is something you're born with, like arms, legs, breath, a heartbeat. It's the natural order of things to feel that discomfort and it will be with you every step of your life." So, fear is natural and here to stay and that, perhaps, is the reason why a broad strategy to defeat or overcome it is often flawed. Fear is going to be around and has to be dealt with, every day of our lives. Therefore, instead of thinking of erasing it, there could be a way to transform its crises into stepping stones to glory. That difference can be made through the subtle art of channelling it, into something productive and life-affirming.

As PE reports, in 2021 with the massive Covid-19 threat gripping the world. Daniel Richter, a fourth-grade teacher in Wildomar in Riverside County, asked his students to express how they felt through digital art and the results were spectacular. Students came up with astounding artworks, ranging from themes of heroism and solidarity to acknowledging grief, suffering and resistance. By channelling their fears, these students, in the most exemplary work, did not just create wonderful pieces of art but also brought a fresh perspective towards the crisis with their creativity and powerfully reiterated the possibility of human endeavour, effort and survival.

This story demonstrates how instead of being feared and fought, the emotion of fear can be dealt with harmoniously and made into an asset. Numerous cases illustrate the efficacy of this attitude, which can make us turn fear into good fear, a kind that keeps our survival instincts alive and makes us act, instead of besetting you with unnecessary caution and passivity. Channelling your fear is taking control of your life, your emotional responses and ultimately, your endeavours, and this control can be achieved through a mindful mix of creativity, resilience and proactiveness.

It is often said that we fear what we do not understand, and thus channelling your fear would require you to not turn your eyes away from what is startling you, but take a cool and objective view of the context you occupy. For example, if your fear is about your boss disliking your contributions to your organisation, you can first assess your own work, get a better sense of expectations and then let that fear of letting your company down make you perform judiciously. Needless to say, making fear your ally also requires you to take good care of your mental health and seek help whenever necessary.

Conquering fear is not a close-ended solution but an ongoing process which requires you to mould your fear into something that propels you, every step of the way. It is time to do away with 'fight or flight' reactions and streamline your emotions to lead you into rewarding action. Fear is human, but so is creativity and intellect, and with reasonable and creative action, fear can catapult you to peace, joy, success and satisfaction.

(The author is Chief Impact Officer at Recykal Foundation)