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July 12th, 2006
FACING THE FEAR AND ANXIETY OF THE
UNKNOWN
by Stan Popovich
All most everybody worries about what will happen
in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something
good or bad will happen to you in the near future
can produce a lot of fear and anxiety. As a result,
here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how
to manage this fear of dealing with the unknown.
Remember is that no one can predict the future with
one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that
you feared does happen there are circumstances and
factors that you can’t predict which can be
used to your advantage. For instance, let’s
say at your place of work that you miss the deadline
for a project you have been working on for the last
few months. Everything you feared is coming true.
Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells
you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot
to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes
everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent
correct in predicting the future, but all it takes
is for that one percent to make a world of difference.
Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying
about how you will get through the rest of the week
or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can
provide us with different opportunities to learn new
things and that includes learning how to deal with
your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you
will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.
Sometimes, we can get anxious over a task that we
will have to perform in the near future. When this
happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your
mind. For instance, you and your team have to play
in the championship volleyball game in front of a
large group of people in the next few days. Before
the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game
in your mind. Imagine that you’re playing in
front of a large audience. By playing the game in
your mind, you will be better prepared to perform
for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is
a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming
situation and increase your self-confidence.
Remember take a deep breath and try to find something
to do to get your mind off of you anxieties and stresses.
A person could take a walk, listen to some music,
read the newspaper, watch TV, play on the computer
or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective
on things. This will distract you from your current
worries.
A lot of times, our worrying can make the problem
even worse. All the worrying in the world will not
change anything. All you can do is to do your best
each day, hope for the best, and when something does
happen, take it in stride. If you still have trouble
managing your anxiety of the future, then talking
to a counselor or clergyman can be of great help.
There are ways to help manage your fear and all it
takes is some effort to find those answers.
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