How to tame fear and uncertainty?

Fear, uncertainty. Emotions so familiar to each of us, today they accompany all of us especially often. Therefore, we would like to introduce you to these states, analyze them and try to answer the question: how to deal with fear and uncertainty?

Each of us feels strong emotions during this difficult period for us, and fear and uncertainty definitely outweigh at least a sense of security. We are afraid, this is normal. We feel insecure, that's normal. We are haunted by "black scenarios", that's normal, BA! If we didn't feel them, it would border on sociopathy (i.e. inability to feel feelings), so the fact that we are afraid is a very healthy symptom. Let's not add another unnecessary brick to ourselves like: I shouldn't/should be afraid. We should proceed from an assumption widely reproduced - very unanimously, by psychological circles - namely: all emotions are necessary. Our body communicates with us through emotions, so marginalizing them, or even rejecting them, is a step towards losing touch with ourselves.

Ok, we have already established that all emotions are important and should not be denied or downplayed. Each one serves something - including those in the "unpleasant" category, and so in order to deal with them, we must first know why they serve? Why do they appear? About the essence of their importance, let us testify to the fact that every living organism around the globe, be it an ant, an elephant or a human being is subject to the principle of conservation of energy, which states that the organism will not "invest" life-giving energy on pointless processes. According to this principle, the emergence of emotions: fear, anxiety, uncertainty, is certainly a necessary process.

Why fear?

Fear is an emotion that generally motivates us to act, which is activated in a threatening situation, which is undoubtedly the current situation related to COVID-19.It manifests itself on two levels: physical and mental. Physically, under the influence of this emotion, a number of hormones are secreted, such as adrenaline, cortisol from the adrenal cortex, etc. This is to "short-circuit" our body to react to the stressor (stress factor) into 2 main atavistic actions assigned to us: escape or fight. At the psychological level, fear can occur with different intensity in different people. Those who avoid stressful situations on a daily basis are likely to feel its symptoms more strongly than those who work in a stressful environment on a daily basis. Why, then, do we feel its symptoms in the situation we find ourselves in? The fear we feel comes from the human ability to piece together facts. We realize that a given situation may cause danger because we have either already experienced it ourselves in the past, or, as in this case, we see what is happening, for example, in Italy.

Anxiety versus fear

Fear is a familiar feeling. We can define it, name it, give its cause. That feeling when something squeezes us in the stomach, when we are afraid of something is anxiety. It has its origins already in the prenatal period. It does not arise from a threatening situation, so it is the result of what is going on in our minds. We are afraid, for example, of how a pandemic will develop and how monstrous its size will be. What toll of casualties it will take, but is that already the case? Are we recording millions of casualties and the world is starting to go up in flames? Well no, China, for example, is already slowly getting the situation under control, and European doctors agree - we can handle it! If fear does not come from real danger, but flows from within us, then why does this feeling serve at all? Ok, fear we understand - it has an adaptive function, if we were not afraid of dangers we would not survive. But fear? We look at a picture of a venomous, hideous, eight-legged monster - a spider. Most of us just feel anxiety - not fear. We are not threatened by the photo coming to life and the spider dancing a danse macabre with us. It is the feeling of an imagined threat that is not motivated in reality.

Tame the bastard!

Ok, we have already defined what fear is, distinguished it from anxiety and given ourselves "permission" to feel all emotions. So let's try to look at methods of dealing with fear arising from the current situation.

• To begin with, let's tame the fear. Talking about what triggers it in us and confronting situations that cause it helps to tame and thus make them stop being a source of fear.
• Physical activity? Sure! This is another important weapon in the fight against fear. Physical exertion, followed by fatigue, makes us not focus so hard on what we are afraid of, plus it also raises the level of serotonin in the brain, the so-called "happy hormone." Since we have our favorite physical activity we must also take care of quality rest. Finding even half an hour for ourselves in a busy schedule, devoting time to what brings us solace dramatically, changes our thinking to a more positive one. In the current situation, most of us stay at home. So let's take advantage of this time, also to relax for a while. Maybe we'll finally catch up on our reading, maybe try some interesting hobbies, or maybe Netflix and a mountain of chips? These are great ways to go.
• Fear should be rationalized - the ability to control one's moods work on concentration, a kind of "separation" of emotions from critical thinking allow us to deal more easily with the biological source of anxiety. Let's ask ourselves: what are we really afraid of in the current situation? It may turn out that the source of anxiety lies quite elsewhere. Different people feel the fear associated with the pandemic itself to different degrees - we know that more than 80% of young people go through contact with the pathogen even unnoticed. Here, our seniors are definitely more vulnerable. If not the virus itself, how about what it brings with it? The economic impact? Social chaos? Taking a deeper look into ourselves as to what in each of us is the source, plus taking conscious care of our bodies, is a sure recipe for coming out of this experience stronger and much wiser.