We must learn to stop living in fear

By: Sonya Braun Posted: 7:08 AM CDT Sunday, Sep. 26, 2021

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/09/2021 (620 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fear. A healthy dose of it can keep you from doing something stupid or rash. Mothers often wish for more of that fear in some of their kids.

Fear can also be paralyzing. And there are mothers who ache to see that kind of fear gone from their kids’ lives.

Speaking of mothers, we are notorious for allowing our own fears to get in the way of our children taking risks – risks they need to take in order to grow.

When we are in danger, it is normal to feel fear – and we are designed to experience a rush of adrenaline to help us flee, fight, or freeze in hyper-alert mode. However, we are not designed to live in fear.

Fear messes with our bodies. We can’t digest our food properly or rest deeply. That’s OK when a situation warrants this response but it’s not good long-term.

Fear messes with our minds. It ramps up some parts while shutting down others, such as the cerebral cortex in charge of reasoning and judgment.

Fear messes with our relationships. It causes us to cling to others in unhealthy dependence, or isolate ourselves, either physically or through attitudes of suspicion and hostility. Neither is good for us.

Unfortunately, many of us have been living in fear for the past 18 months; it’s like an epidemic of fear.

First, there was fear of the unknown and the “what ifs.” Those fears were fed by the focus on case counts, hospitalizations and deaths.

With lockdown came fear of losing work, losing business, losing the house. With masks came fear of those who didn’t wear them or fear of penalty for not wearing them, depending on where you stood.

With gathering restrictions came fear of more restrictions if people didn’t comply, or fear of penalties if you didn’t comply. With vaccines came fear of not being able to travel, see loved ones, and go to concerts/movies/restaurants, or the fear of adverse effects and lifelong booster shots.

With vaccine passports and vaccine mandates came fear of losing medical privacy, losing rights to bodily autonomy, or losing education, losing jobs or facing unending testing.

That’s a lot of fear.

Personally, I have experienced waves of fear. But I do not live in chronic fear. I think it is because I take my fears to God in prayer. I also fill my thoughts with truth and watch how much news and social media I consume. I also try to get outside for walks, encourage people around me, and focus on what’s important in life.

What do you do?

If we want to thrive, it’s time to stop living in fear. It’s time for the epidemic of fear to end.

Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Springfield North.