At Home with Carol Vorderman 2013 - (Page 76)

Face your fears… DOES THE THOUGHT OF DOING AN EXAM, GETTING MARRIED OR EVEN GOING ON A PLANE FILL YOU WITH DREAD? RELAX, THERE ARE TECHNIQUES TO HELP YOU THROUGH IT ALL F ear is something most people experience. Sometimes, it’s a positive emotion that keeps you from harm – being fearful of great heights or dark alleyways, for instance, can be useful. But, fear can – and quite often does – have a very negative impact, preventing you from achieving your goals. Sadly, it can stop you from living your life to the full. ‘Fear is very common,’ says Dr David Wilkinson, who has set up www.fearcourse.com and who gives aid workers, disaster managers and emergency response units around the world the speciﬁc tools to cope with difﬁcult situations. ‘The emotion developed to stop you becoming a predator’s lunch. This is excellent if you’re faced with a sabre-toothed tiger, but it’s not so great if faced with doing a presentation or sitting an exam. Fears tend to close down people’s thinking and also create limitations – “I can’t do that because…” 076 | JUNE 2013 – your dreams are usually expansive, free of fear and positive, so being able to overcome your fears is important to achieving your big ideas.’ NOTHING TO FEAR So why do you feel fear, even in non-threatening situations? ‘The IT’S ALL IN THE WAY YOU BREATHE Employing correct techniques can break down anxiety in situations Dr David Wilkinson says: ‘I tell my students: “You can’t be both relaxed and anxious at the same time and I can hazard a guess at which one you would prefer to be.” So, learning some effective breathing techniques can help – for example – sit up and breathe in through your nose slowly, filling your entire lungs over five or six seconds. Hold the breath for a second or two and then breathe out through your mouth for five seconds. Just do this twice and notice what happens.’ fear control centres of the brain developed about 208 million years ago and haven’t changed much since,’ says Dr Wilkinson. ‘The relatively modern thinking part of your brain understands about getting married, doing exams, giving talks, doing interviews, but the old bit keeps shouting “run away you are about to be eaten”, because that’s all it knows. At one level most people know their fears are irrational and yet they still feel the anxiety.’ ‘When you’re faced with choices or decisions that make you fearful, you normally react in one of three ways,’ explains Dr Wilkinson. ‘The ﬁrst is “ﬂight”, or the feeling you want to run away or don’t want to do something; the second is “freeze” – the feeling that you are stuck to the spot and the third is “ﬁght” which is often a strong feeling of anger or aggression.’ Fear is a normal reaction. But, it is not a positive one if it is causing a negative emotional hold. If you’re experiencing fear in an angry way, http://www.fearcourse.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Carol Vorderman 2013

Editor's letter
Carol's hello
News
Summer days
Rear of the year
Shades of citrus
Maxi moment
Good for the sole
Razzle dazzle
Swing by the sixties
All shapes and sizes
Steal her look
The swimwear round
A moment with Carol
Beaming with pride
Loose women
Forever friends
What men want
The D word
Fear not
Keep your flirt on
Sex on fire
Culinary classics
Food glorious food
At a pinch
Oiling the meals
Flaming hot
Under the grill
Raise a glass
Water works
Weight-dropping wonders
Tuck in
Home improvements
Holiday hazards
Proceed with caution
Warning signs
Down to the bare bones
Back on track
A sorry sight
20 under £20
How do they do it?
Rewind time
Lacklustre locks?
Pearly brights
Good job hunting
Old timers
The golden years
Cash in a flash
Money guru
Foster the love
Child's play
Easy as 1, 2, 3?
Summertime accessories
Those in glass houses
On the tiles
Home safe home
Savvy traveller
Holiday honcho
Port of call
Here come the girls
It's a numbers game
Book it in
Up, up and away!
Last word

At Home with Carol Vorderman 2013