I always think of November as a month represented by gratitude and thanksgiving.
We have Thanksgiving in the US of course and Christmas around the corner, but for me, it’s more than that.
Maybe because November is such an in-between month, and as we approach winter and the end of the year, I can’t help but reflect on the experiences of the past year and find myself thinking about 2021 and counting the -my blessings for all the good in my life and in the lives of those around me.
2020 was tough for the majority, no doubt about it. I know that for many people fear was present most of the time as well as uncertainty and insecurity.
I want to talk to you today about why fear is so damaging to your health, and how to replace it with gratitude.
Basically you can choose to live in appreciation and gratitude or you can choose to live in fear. Unfortunately, most of us live in fear, simply because it is what is most projected and taught to us.
I don’t mean fear of immediate danger (although this year that may have felt true), I’m talking more about the kind of low-level fear that is constantly present.
The fear that many people feel about universal things like getting sick, getting old, dying, being alone, not earning enough money to provide for our families or not achieving our dreams. That kind of fear is taught to us in subtle and not-so-subtle ways through societal programming and the mass media.
For most people, it is much more normal to feel that kind of fear than it is to have faith and feel gratitude and appreciation.
This is such bad news for our physical and emotional selves and the way we vibrate energetically. Fear lowers the vibration, it’s as simple as that.
Living in fear is a very low frequency.
If you are always afraid, your immune system is compromised and you are more likely to catch a cold or a virus. This is because the biochemical state that comes through the emotion of fear affects your immunity in a negative way.
Here’s how fear harms your health:
- Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released which slow down and/or shut down some body functions including your gut (which is essential for good immunity).
- Stress hormones can create an overactive brain that causes your brain to stop thinking rationally.
- Heart rate and blood pressure increase.
- Chronic health problems such as ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fatigue, depression, accelerated aging and fertility issues may emerge.
- Fear can interrupt processes that allow you to regulate emotions in a healthy way.
- In terms of the Law of Attraction, fear only attracts more fear. If you are constantly vibrating at a low frequency of fear, you can only attract more of the same. You need to raise your vibration and move away from fear to have a healthy and happy life.
In short, there is a time for an appropriate fear response, of course, if you are threatened or in danger, it is normal to feel afraid! But it is not healthy to live in constant, low-grade fear. It literally makes no sense to live in fear. Life by its nature is unpredictable. None of us can be sure of the future, but living in fear of that every day is simply harmful and dysfunctional.
So how can you change fear to more positive emotions?
Gratitude and appreciation are positive, heart-centered feelings that can increase happiness, energy and enthusiasm for life. Researchers have shown that counting your blessings and practicing appreciation makes you stronger.
I know you can’t stop feeling that familiar fear overnight, so here are my suggestions for some daily steps you can take to raise your vibration with gratitude and eliminate that fear low grade from your life.
- Look at your fear directly: I mean notice it, don’t hide from it. Scan your body in your mind and find the physical place where it resides. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you do this. Send love and healing to that place where fear lives.
- Breathe through it: Practice taking long, deep breaths when you feel fear rising. Breathe in through your nose and hold the breath, before exhaling through your nose. This calms your nervous system.
- Make a list of your blessings: List everything you wish for here, from your friends and family to the roof over your head. It can be as big as having electricity and clean water, or as small as the guy who lets you cut through traffic with a friendly wave. The more you make these lists, the easier they become. You can let them grow organically as your appreciation and vibration rise.
- Cultivate self-esteem: Much fear is rooted in a lack of self-worth or self-love. Confidence and appreciation come from self worth. When you believe in yourself and your ability to be happy, you will be able to stay positive much easier. Work on your self-esteem with meditation, vision boards, lists of your positive aspects and by finding what makes you feel good every day and doing those things. Believe in your innate ability to achieve your dreams.
- Surrender to the Universe: This can mean surrendering to the bigger picture by focusing on the world at large outside of your own anxieties or literally surrendering your fears to the divine source of the Universe. When things feel big, it helps me to imagine how big the world is, even to picture our solar system and galaxy in space. Then I like to release my worries and fears by surrendering them to the divine.
What you will find is that your appreciation, gratitude, thanksgiving and counting your blessings all lead to happiness and joy. Whether you can turn it around and reduce your fear in an hour, a day, a week, a month or a year you can turn it around with gratitude, I promise you.
Regular gratitude is something that grows, strengthens and multiplies just like love. It’s a catch, in a good way.
Thanks for reading. 🙂
