#014 - How to Hack Fear (COVID19 Special)
The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side…Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
Due to the recent Coronavirus outbreak, there’s been a lot of fear and panic being promoted throughout the media and it’s causing people to live a caged life. This is part 3 of 3 of my Coronavirus special (the first one was how to increase your immunity with a Virus Protocol and the second one is about how to beat the Financial Crisis during this crazy time). This last one attacks the mental attitude we need to have during this pandemic. Fear is almost always linked to an image you have something terrible happening in the future. If I speak up, I’ll get fired. If I start my own business, I’ll go bankrupt. The more you fixate on this future image, the more paralyzed you become—unable to act until you are certain the event won’t happen. But that kind of certainty is impossible. I talk about the mental game you need level up and fear management. We talk about:
Types of Fear
Why We Fear
What to Do About It
Wrap Up (6 Hacks to Beat Fear)
At Least Do This
Understand that emotional contagion is a problem (Courage it turns out, is contagious, just like panic and cowardice)
Stop Checking On The Media
Don’t Complain (complaining just keeps you in a low vibrancy state)
Types of Fear
Loss (instead focus on the gains)
Process (not sure how to do something) - hardship - honor the struggle.
Outcome (what if it's not better? What if it the situation becomes worse?)
Fuck Your Feelings - Ryan Munsey
Damasio’s research in neuroscience has shown that emotions play a central role in social cognition and decision-making. He is the man behind the “95% of decisions come from feelings” statistic.
The part of the brain responsible for these compulsive, emotional, feeling based decision is the limbic system. It’s ancient, fast, and governs most of our subconscious thought systems. It is primitive dog centric, survival based operating system that is focused only on the “here and now”
The limbic systems plays a crucial role in the formation of memories, integrating emotional states with stored memories of physical sensations.
The pre-frontal cortex is responsible for 5% of the decisions we make.
Based on the central concept that stimuli that induce emotions such as fear, anger or love initially induce changes in visceral function
In other words the brain is influenced by the body and vice versa. (racing heartbeat, breathing, postures, etc.)
In other words, people who let their current states (feelings) guide their decision, “more strongly engage in thoughts related to unpleasant situations.” F*ck your feelings!
6 Things You Can Do Right Now To Mitigate Fear
Engage in Natural Movement
Motion creates Emotion
Power Postures
Meditation/box breathing
Leadership Strategy And Tactics - Jocko Willinck
Detach - look above and out.
Step one is be aware. Pay attention to yourself what is happening around you. Make it a goal to avoid being fully absorbed in the minute details of any situation. Don’t let it happen. If you are staying aware, checking yourself, you will be likelier to avoid getting tunnel vision
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear ”
The Tools - Phil Stutz
Phil uses a technique called “The Reversal of Desire” to mitigate fear. He talks about confronting the fear and really feeling it, really embracing it, really visualizing this. The Reversal of Desire is listed below
The Reversal of Desire
Bring it on
I love pain
Pain sets me free.
The Book of Joy - Dalai Lama
When we turn a threat to a challenge our body responds very differently.
When we see these as separate, they become a threat. When we see others as a part of us, as connected, as interdependent, there is no challenge we cannot face—together.
The Antidote to Fear
Detach
Become present
Fall in love with it
Be grateful
Move Your Body - change your State
Find Connection
Other Resources
Tony Blauer’s KNOW FEAR Seminar
Tony Blauer’s Cycle of Behavior (great way to understand FEAR management)