[00:00:03] Speaker A: Hello there. You probably already know that you can't prevent every fear you'll ever feel. But do you know that you can get better at what you do next?
And this is important because coping with fear isn't about becoming fearless.
It's about becoming more prepared, more supported and resilient so that situations in the future, well, that they aren't as large or scary.
Cue the intro.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: From the Natural State. This is Public Facing, the podcast with Joe Holman.
[00:00:55] Speaker A: All right, thanks for that intro, Annabelle, and thanks to you there, my favorite listener for joining us today.
I'm so glad that you're here.
Welcome to Public Facing. I'm Joe Holman.
This is the final episode in our three part series on the factors of fear.
We've talked a good bit about what fear can do to the body.
We've also talked about what it can do to the mind.
So it makes sense that we tie this all together through actionable steps so that even a person who is recognizing that they need to take action in their own life can deal with fear or anxiety or making lifestyle changes.
And now comes the practical question, what do we do with all of this?
Preferably something better than panic googling, which has been a recurring theme on this show. As you know, I bring that up a good bit.
But today we're, we're looking at prevention and coping, and we're keeping it realistic and at times even simplistic.
No fluff, no bull.
We're not promising a life without fear. No, we're. We're talking about how to address sleep, movement, breathing, connection, recognizing triggers, challenging unhelpful thoughts, and knowing when professional help belongs in the plan.
Because sometimes the healthiest response isn't, I've got this.
No, sometimes we tell that lie to ourselves, but sometimes we have to instead message that it's more. So, like, I don't have to handle this alone.
Can you sense a tone change here from chaos to care?
See, that's the goal here anyway.
Okay, then let's get into this.
Let's start with building your baseline.
That's the boring stuff. I know, but I'm talking about sleep.
Yes, very controversial. I know.
Movement. Ooh, even more controversial.
What about connection?
Okay, now. Now we're getting serious.
You see, the truth is that the basics matter. And if we don't cover the basics, then we are hard pressed to cover anything else consistently, honestly or successfully.
Now, the National Institute of Mental Health, they recommend healthy habits such as regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, and maintaining social connection as part of caring for your mental Health.
Stay connected with us here at Public Facing Socially. Send me an email at hellobublicfacingpod Stream or on X. Formerly twitter's.com publicfacingpod alright, now back to building healthy habits.
The American Psychiatric association, their guidance similarly emphasizes sleep routines, physical activity and relaxation strategies as useful ways to manage stress.
And none of that sounds particularly glamorous. No, it does not. But those benefits though, well, you might be there saying Joe, isn't there some quick fix or fast track to do it all?
No, nothing easy.
Not in just one try anyway.
There's no dramatic movie trailer for Joe and the Reasonable Bedtime starring yours truly.
Now don't get me wrong, I'd watch it, but these habits, these habits through simple changes can truly help you create a healthier baseline for your long term growth and your health management.
And here's the key.
Coping works better when we practice before the crisis.
Yeah, what do I mean? Think fire drill, right? You want to practice your escape plan and, and you know, checking your batteries and your, your smoke detectors and that sort of thing. You want to do that before there's a fire, not, not when it's past the point.
And also I want to welcome you to Preparedness Month.
Seriously, September is Preparedness Month.
More so for health and emergency preparedness, including for your pets and your personal property. But still, it's a perfect time for your physical health, your mental health and well being as well.
My friend and favorite listener, if you only learn how to calm yourself when you're already feeling out of control and overwhelmed, well, my friend, you're starting the race halfway out of breath.
And that right there can very well determine whether you finish this race at all.
So preparation is part of coping.
So know what helps you sleep.
For me, it varies. Sometimes it's white noise, sometimes it's talk radio and sometimes ambient music.
But you need to also know who you can call in a situation.
And also know which situations trigger you, how they trigger you, and why they trigger you.
Now, also knowing what helps you slow down.
You see, details matter and that information helps identify options, build your coping toolkit before you so desperately need it.
So now that we've, we've built out that baseline, then let's talk about what we do in the moment.
We're gonna make a change in the next 30 seconds.
We put 30 seconds on the clock. Ready?
Go.
When fear hits, people sometimes think they have to solve their entire life immediately. You don't start with 30 seconds. Do that thing that Robert McCall does with his watch in the Equalizer movies McCall starts the stopwatch before a fight to predict how long the confrontation will take, comparing his estimated time against the actual duration to gauge his own sharpness and precision.
And use this time to assess the threat and overall situation to gauge your plan of action and the steps necessary to reduce or remove the immediate threat.
Doing so can help you in building good routines and also retiring others that no longer serve us if they ever did.
Slow down your breathing.
Put both feet on the floor and notice what's actually happening around you.
Name the feeling. This helps.
Use your senses.
I'm experiencing fear.
Instead of everything's falling apart, you see that? It's that tiny difference that can create some distance between the feeling and the conclusion.
Now again, the National Institute of Mental Health identifies breathing exercises, mindfulness, physical activity, journaling even, and also challenging unhelpful thoughts among a list of proven strategies that people can try when they're stressed or. Or when their anxiety becomes overwhelming.
And there's another important piece here. Please don't automatically believe that every thought fear gives you is real or right.
Don't be fooled by smoke and mirrors. Things are not always what they seem.
Now, fear.
Fear is an alarm.
An alarm can be useful, but an alarm in itself, well, it isn't an investigator.
And so that's good because you can take over from here.
See, your brain can say something terrible is going to happen.
Your next question, though, can also be, what evidence do I actually have that this is real or right?
You see, Not a response of everything's fine, it's just fine.
And not a response of everything is terrible.
Facts.
Just what do I know right now?
What do I know right now?
That's a much more manageable question and approach.
And sometimes that's enough to get you through the next minute.
But coping isn't always a solo activity.
Sometimes your next 30 seconds should include calling somebody.
Which brings us to the bigger piece of the puzzle based on fear.
Don't build your coping plan alone.
What am I saying? Well, one of the most powerful tools that we have available to us is connection.
Now, the National Institute of Mental Health again encourages people who are experiencing anxiety or other mental health challenges to communicate with trusted people and to seek professional help from when symptoms interfere with everyday life.
I feel like there's something comforting about seeing I don't need you to fix this period.
Take a breath.
I just don't want to be alone with it.
I feel like that is really empowering. You have the control at this point.
And see, sometimes the person that you need is a friend. Sometimes it's a family member or a doctor, a therapist or other mental health professional.
You have options if you're in crisis or are suicidal or you just need to talk, call or text. The 988 lifeline my friend. There's no better prize given for choosing the hardest possible route to taking care of yourself versus a simpler route.
Sometimes there's no prize at all for taking that hard way approach.
Now the the trophy for most unnecessarily difficult coping strategy. Well, it's apparently imaginary and fortunately there's no televised awards ceremony or widespread recognition.
Nothing in the record books even.
Instead, we have the option to choose simpler and smarter, not harder as the preferred approach for caring for yourself and others.
Now for some anxiety disorders, treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help people understand and change patterns of thinking and behavior.
Exposure based approaches can also help people gradually face fears in structured, supportive ways.
And the word I want to emphasize here is supportive.
Coping isn't punishment, it's ongoing effort and practice.
You don't have to go from terrified to fearless.
Instead go from overwhelmed to breathing, from avoiding everything to trying one manageable thing.
One, not a hundred.
From I can't to I can ask for help.
From isolation to connection.
See, that's progress. And that's really been the theme of this entire series.
Fear has a job.
Sometimes it doesn't act appropriately.
Perhaps you've worked with someone before who fits the description as well.
Now let's get back to fear, because sometimes it protects us, sometimes it gets overstimulated, sometimes it points towards something that we need to address, and sometimes it simply needs compassion.
You see, the goal here isn't to become a person who never feels fear.
The goal is to become a person who knows what to do when fear arrives.
Remember, it's not a matter of if, but when fear will present itself.
And that brings us to today's and this series final word.
Build healthy routines before stress becomes overwhelming.
Use simple tools to slow the body's alarm system.
Think like a checklist, and keep trusted people and professional support in your corner when you need them.
Now, ultimately, we may never live completely free of fear.
And really, we don't need to.
We can learn to recognize it, respond to it, and keep moving forward with support.
That, my friend, is today's final word to you, my friend and favorite listener at. If this three part series has helped you, share it with someone who might benefit from this conversation, follow public facing the podcast and stay connected, email your feedback to us at HelloPublicFacingPod stream or visit PublicFacingPod stream. For all of our episodes, visit the National Institute of Mental health and at www.nimh.nih.gov.
if you're in crisis, call or text 988. If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. They understand that life's challenges can sometimes be difficult.
So whether you're facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or you just need someone to talk to, their caring counselors are here for you. You're not alone.
Thanks for spending time with us today. I've enjoyed this series and I hope that you have too.
Until next time, stay informed, stay encouraged, and stay public Facing For Public Facing, I'm Joe Holman. Come back and see us again real soon.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: Thanks for listening to Public Facing, the podcast with Joe Holman. Visit us online at PublicFacingPod stream and on
[email protected] PublicFacingPod
[00:18:54] Speaker A: SAM.
