Conquer your fears

13:12 25 January 2011

Everyone has at least one fear or phobia, whether it's heights or spiders, but they shouldn't be allowed to rule your life.

Phobias can be inherited, caused by a particularly traumatic incident or they can be simply irrational.

But is there a way to get rid of our fears and phobias? We can certainly try to control them through these top tips from AskMen.com:

Acknowledge it Do not ignore your fear or phobia or it could get worse. You could start with a fear of travelling long distances on motorways and it could affect you so much, it could reach the point where you can't even get in a car.

Acceptance Recognise that you have a fear. The first step to overcoming the problem is to accept that it's a problem in the first place

Let it out Get a pen and paper and write down all the things you are not doing because of your fear. Be honest. This will show you how much you are missing out on by allowing the phobia to control your life and take over.

Don't be embarrassed Ignore those who tell you to "pull yourself together" or to "get over it. They do not understand and obviously haven't experienced what it is like to have an extreme fear.

Learn You are not alone. Do some research and you are sure to find other people who experience the same symptoms as you. Note the common factors that appear and you will begin to understand more about your fear.

Key factors What triggers your phobia? What has to happen to you to feel afraid or nervous? Again, you will then start to understand the basis of your phobia more clearly.

Stay calm Learning to breathe slowly and calmly can help. A calm breath equals a calm mind and when your mind is calm, you will be able to think logically.