What holds you back from living your best life, what do you fear most?
These are the ten most common. Is yours here?
- Arachnophobia [The fear of spiders.]
- Ophidiophobia [The fear of snakes.]
- Acrophobia [The fear of heights.]
- Agoraphobia [ The fear of open or crowded spaces.]
- Cynophobia [The fear of dogs.]
- Astraphobia [The fear of thunder and lightning.]
- Claustrophobia [The fear of small spaces.]
- Mysophobia [The fear of germs.]
- Aerophobia [The fear of flying.]
- Trypophobia [The fear of holes.]
There are of course many more fears and they can produce very real symptoms in the body.
I was terrified of spiders but I managed to overcome that, though I still don’t like them, the sight of them doesn’t paralyse me with fear anymore.
However, heights does. I don’t even need to be aware I am high up. I know because my knees turn to jelly, I feel nauseated and cannot move forward, however much I try. It has happened often.
Sound familiar? Are you affected physically by your fears?
Table of Contents
Do you have a more unusual fear?
Are you afraid to tell people what you fear?
Some of the more unusual fears. 
- Alektorophobia [The fear of chickens]
- Metrophobia [The fear of poetry or rhyming verse]
- Ephebiphobia [The fear of youths]
- Ergasiophobia [The fear of work]
- Optophobia. [The fear of opening one’s eyes]
- Neophobia [The fear of newness]
- Anthophobia [The fear of flowers]
- Pteronophobia [The fear of being tickled by feathers]
- Vestiphobia [The fear of clothing]
- Phronemophobia [The fear of thinking]
What can you do about it?
For some, professional help is the best way to go, or there are things you can try yourself.
Take some time out. Try to distract yourself if possible or remove yourself from the situation.
Breathe. Learn some calming breathing techniques, focusing on your breathe can help the fear recede.
Don’t use alcohol or drugs as this can make it worse.
Walk outside in nature, it can have a very calming affect.
Try meditation as a calming technique.
These are just a few of the many remedies you can try yourself, if only to ease the anxiety and symptoms at the time.
A hidden Fear!
This is one that can stop us succeeding and at times hold us back in life.
Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has a fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure?
The fear of Failure.
[Also known as Atychiphobia.]
Have you looked at activities and thought you would like to have a go at that but something always holds you back?
Wanted to run your own business but there was always a reason not to? The wrong time, not enough money, not enough time and its always put off until later.
Or you take the plunge but somehow it always goes wrong. You start off well, it begins to take off but somehow it falls flat. You could well be sabotaging yourself without realising it.
This can stem from childhood. Traumatic events can be a cause, even if you cannot remember it. Being undermined, criticised and/or humiliated when you tried to do something, by the adults around you, parents, teachers, other family members, adults in authority over you in any way and even other children.
These type of events can cause Limiting beliefs that are held within the subconscious. You tell yourself you aren’t good enough to achieve a promotion, be successful at anything and gradually you stop trying, believing that inner voice.
You can end up with low self esteem and lack of confidence in yourself and the decisions you make.
Talk about how you feel and you will find you are not alone.
What can you do about it?
Think about whether it does affect you first. Does any of this sound familiar? Sometimes just reading something like this can make you realise that it’s possible.
If it does it’s easier to overcome once it’s out in the open. It can bring a sense of relief.
The best part is, instead of the fear of failure holding you back you can look at in a different way.
Look at various well known people, read up on them. Many were told they wouldn’t amount to anything. Were told they didn’t have what it takes. Dropped out of school, etc. Then look at where they are today. Highly successful and at the top of their field. Look up Michael Jordan and Richard Branson, one was told he didn’t have what it takes and the other dropped out of school.
If you can understand that failure is a lesson learnt, not something that means give up, you will be over the first hurdle.
There are many hurdles on the way to success, some you will fly over,
others you will stumble on and occasionally fall.
What defines you is the way you deal with those hurdles. To succeed, you must get up, dust yourself down and having learnt from the experience, carry on.
You haven’t lost the race, unless you give up.
Conclusion.
Some fears take longer than others to deal with and some need more help to deal with them.
The hidden fear that stops us moving forward can be dealt with once you understand it’s there and why you hold back. It is possible to change the way you think, to erase limiting beliefs that hold you back through no fault of your own.
There can also be limiting beliefs that hold you back, formed through childhood onwards, that show as fears.
There are many books available and many Youtube videos on the subject that can and will help. You need to find those that resonate with you. Others can recommend but if they aren’t a fit for you. then they aren’t the right ones. I’ve tried to read books others have recommended and raved about, that have left me cold and wondering why I can’t see what they did.
The truth is, we are all different and what helps one person won’t necessarily be as good for another. So each person must seek and find their own truth.
Then when you are ready to start that business, sure that you are ready to work hard and succeed, come back and have a look at what I do at Wealthy Affiliate.
There will be a link for you to have a look, join up for free training and see if it’s the sort of thing you fancy doing as a business. I love it.
I learnt so much on the free part, that I joined as a Premium member.
Want to read more? Check out my 6 month review HERE!
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Fear of poetry? That sounds weird … So, does someone reciting a poem cause fear? I don’t mean to be disrespectful, I am just curious.
I never had real arachnophobia, but spiders used to cause some mild type of fear and certain disgust in me years ago. When I moved to the semi-desert in Baja California Sur, Mexico, and I realized how many spiders lived here and that there were some big ones, I decided to get over my fear. I was living in the desert, I had to get used to these critters. Funnily enough, it was a tarantula that got me over it. I came across one in the desert, and I stopped and looked at it, and I thought that it was a beautiful animal. Now, I’m ok with spiders, even the big ones, although it still takes my breath away if suddenly a large spider crawls over my bathroom wall, but I don’t freak out. I either leave them or I catch them and take them outside.
I agree Christine, fear of poetry does sound weird but even more so is the fear of opening your eyes. The poetry one is apparently more common than I originally thought. I looked it up to find out more and for many it starts in school. Sufferers usually fear hearing, reading or writing poetry.
Well done on overcoming your fear of spiders, it was a very brave thing to do. Thank you for sharing your story, hopefully it will help others with their fear knowing that you overcame yours.
Thank you for commenting.
Thanks for an awesome post, I really enjoyed reading this. As for fears definitely heights are right up there for me but after doing some work I’ve been able to get past that. I’m so glad I did because I am now able to do things that I couldn’t of done if I was letting that fear hold me back. You really shown how important it is to face your fears, move past them and carry-on and your live your life the way you choose without letting fear hold you back. It’s a perfect analogy when you compare it to starting your business because there is a lot of fear that steps in there and if you’re not careful it can stop you before you even get started. Being fearful is definitely a waste of time and it’s well worth learning how to conquer any fears that you’re facing. Thanks again for a great post!
Thank you for commenting Judy, glad you enjoyed the post. Many people do have fears, ranging from mild to full blown phobias.
Fears can be overcome but phobias often need help to face and fight them. So glad you could overcome yours as they can hold you back, quite a lot.
Business fears are just as real, especially fear of failure. It can stop you from even starting a business, let alone carrying on and becoming a success. Facing and conquering those fears is half the battle.