Uncertainty often brings anxiety and fear. In the previous episode, mindfulness teacher and emotional intelligence expert Michelle Maldonado talked about the importance of understanding how we feel and where it manifests physiologically. In this episode, Michelle dives into the body and brain connection of emotions – specifically fear. Fear is often found underlying higher level emotions expressed in the moment such as anxiety, anger, or jealousy. It’s okay to feel fear because we are hard-wired to respond this way to threats and uncertainty. However, we need to take proactive action to disrupt fear to prevent our brains from forming a habit of eliciting fear. With exploration and practice, you will find the tools and techniques that work for you. Start exploring by listening in to this episode where Michelle shares effective tools such as R.A.I.N., journaling, and four agreements to yourself.
Click here to learn more about Michelle and her company Lucenscia.
What’s in this episode?
0:00 Being okay, not to be okay
1:24 Moving from fear to empowerment
2:26 Recap: It’s okay not to be okay
4:40 Fear: the shake shifter
7:15 Vulnerability and acknowledgment
9:15 What makes you feel vulnerable or insecure
12:30 More than good enough
15:23 The importance of social connection
16:58 The hard-wired response to fear
17:40 How the structure of your brain can change
20:15 Cognitive resilience and mindfulness
23:19 Pessimism and personalization
28:00 Taking time off and asking for help
31:05 Stimulus, space, and power to choose
33:16 Consistency and repetition
33:3 Techniques: R.A.I.N.
38:45 Digging deeper and finding out why
41:16 Moving with and moving through
43:05 Acceptance: Acknowledgement of reality
45:50 Pausing and taking a deep breath
47:00 The four agreements with yourself
49:59 Doing your best
53:30 Creating a new habit or routine
What you will learn:
- How fear manifests as other emotions
- How fear can change the structure of your brain
- How the fear is hard wired and can become a cycle
- Effective tools for cognitive resilience and for breaking the fear cycle
