NextCorps recently hosted a workshop led by Raeanne Lacatena, CEO of The Integrated Entrepreneur, contributing author of Cracking the Rich Code, and certified professional coach. Drawing on her diverse background in mental health counseling and holistic practices such as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Reiki, Lacatena shared a practical method for overcoming fear and unlocking your full potential.
Understanding fear
Fear lives in the brain’s amygdala. It’s a defense mechanism to protect ourselves from perceived threats. However, this internal alarm system can sometimes overreact, creating a powerful sense of danger even when a threat isn’t real. Lacatena uses the acronym F.E.A.R. for False Evidence Appearing Real.
There are two unhealthy ways in which individuals deal with fear: they externalize or internalize. An externalizer will spew their emotions out onto others and look for someone to blame for their fear. An internalizer, on the other hand, will turn the blame inwards, ruminating on their fear and being overly hard on themselves.
A single traumatic event can create fear that endures for years, and sometimes decades. This fear often results in avoidance of people, places, or activities tied to the memory, and acts as an obstacle to reaching your full potential. When you stop, break down, and analyze the fear that you carry, it creates space for healing, inspiration, and growth.
Overcoming fear with the STEAR Clear and Anchor® Method
Lacatena’s STEAR Clear and Anchor Method is a powerful tool for understanding fear, releasing limiting beliefs, and shifting your perspective from negative to positive. To demonstrate how this method works, the following steps will be applied to a common scenario: the fear of giving an important presentation at work.
Step 1: Brain Dump
Write everything that is going on in your current situation, such as your thoughts, feelings, actions, and beliefs. Dump the thoughts and emotions swirling around in your mind onto the paper and release them.
- I have to give a big presentation at work in front of my bosses, and I’m feeling anxious about it.
Step 2: STEAR
Situation: On a clean sheet of paper, write down the black and white situation that you have to confront. Then divide your page into two columns. The left column is for negative thoughts, emotions, etc., while the right is for their positive alternatives.
- I have to give a big presentation at work.
Thoughts: Reflect on your thoughts about the situation you wrote down. This is called metacognition, or thinking about your thinking.
- Negative thoughts: I am going to forget what to say. Everyone will think my ideas are bad.
- Positive thoughts: I am knowledgeable on my topic. This is an opportunity to share my work.
Emotions: Recognize and name what you’re feeling in fear-inducing situations. In this step, take your thoughts and identify the specific emotions behind them.
- Negative emotions: I feel anxious. I feel overwhelmed.
- Positive emotions: I feel determined. I have confidence in myself and my abilities.
Actions: Reflect on what actions you took or might take as a result of your thoughts and emotions.
- Negative actions: I will mess up in my presentation because I’m so nervous.
- Positive actions: I will do a great job on my presentation and gain respect from my superiors.
Results: Envision what will happen if you continue engaging with these thoughts, emotions, and actions.
- Negative results: I avoid presentations because I lost my confidence.
- Positive results: I increase my confidence and access new opportunities.
Step 3: Clear
Now that you’ve taken the time to understand your fear, give yourself space to release it. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and allow yourself to feel the negative emotions associated with the situation. Then release them by engaging in an activity that works for you—whether it’s meditation, deep breathing, or physical exercise.
Step 4: Anchor
Finally, anchor in the positive thoughts and emotions that you wrote down. Everyone does this differently. You may write out and repeat affirmations, use the emotional freedom technique, or do breathing and visualization exercises. The goal is to consciously shift your focus to the empowering perspective you created in the right-hand column, anchoring yourself in that positive outlook.
Final takeaways
Fear is a universal experience, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent barrier. By consistently using tools like the STEAR Clear and Anchor Method, you can actively dismantle limiting beliefs. You have the power to transform fear from an obstacle into a catalyst for your greatest success.
To learn more, visit theintegratedentrepreneur.com.
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